Smile Lifestyle
F
ROM watching her mother on the sewing machine as a child, to graduating from the London College of Fashion and completing her Masters in Italy, Valentina worked for many brands in China, Italy and the UK. Feeling overwhelmed by the realities of the fashion industry, she decided to make a change. It took 5 years of research and planning to get it ready and finally bring her dream to life. In August 2016 she launched her label.
specially made and repaired; clothes were treasured and taken care of.
What are the best things about your job? – And the challenges?
Best things are seeing my pieces come to life, I make everything myself in-house, so
What inspired you to study fashion?
As a child, I used to help my mother sew and pattern-cut, she was a dressmaker, she taught me everything, I loved seeing a piece from a drawing appear in real life, this took skill and patience, I loved hearing the sewing machine hum late at night as she would work on tight deadlines. This was at a time where people used to get garments
It’s always been a way of life for me, how I was raised. It’s only now people are talking about it, and struggle to keep life ‘ethical’ or sustainable, I would say the simplest way, is to live a life that causes the least amount of harm to people and the environment around you. That could mean buying fruit and veg from your local greengrocer, swapping clothes rather than buying new ones, repairing garments rather than throwing them out and gifting people with experiences rather than ‘stuff’.
Who are your role models (in life); inspirations in the industry?
playing around with the knitting machine and making mistakes that create a whole load of new designs is always exciting for me. The challenge is mostly being heard and seen, as a small brand with little budget it’s easy to get hidden by large brands claiming to be sustainable, people believe them, but mostly it’s a common marketing tool.
Take a step back and really think about why you are doing what you are doing A way of life
Talk to us about sustainability – what does it mean to you? How can people be sustainable in their everyday life and choices?
I have always looked at what is closest to me, for sure it’s my family, my parents who always made sure I was on the right track in life while giving me freedom to fly. In industry, it’s always been Stella McCartney, she has stayed true to her mother’s legacy and kept her garments animal free and strived to work with people that create new fabrics that are not harmful to the environment.
What would be your advice to anyone taking steps to make a change towards improving their situation or following their dream? Whatever you are doing – whether it’s a job, college course or a project, just to take a step back and really think about why you are doing what you are doing? Is it truly making you happy and will it take you to your end goal? Ask your family and loved ones for their perspective, sometimes it’s hard to see clearly when you are so close to a situation. Once you have analysed whether you should stay on your career path or move on, then make the effort to do your research and ask people in a similar field about their experience.
Smile Magazine
Spring/Summer 2019
21