What is your ideal office?
Clean, organized, with vintage furniture mixed with contemporary design pieces, full of fashion and design magazines as well as art catalogues. Inside my ideal office, the music always plays and a team of creative people specializing in different areas collaborate and have fun working on projects they love.
How does music work its way into your clothing designs?
Music has always influenced my design, starting from the inspiration of my brand name: the group MGMT. I like to think that my collections are a material interpretation of the sound—music for your eyes!
Why is it important for you to work with artists on your label?
I love collaborating with artists, designers and different brands. Collaborations elevate the brand and keep it fresh and new. I always collaborate with people and brands with a vision and an aesthetic that can inspire and enrich each other. They can’t be too similar to MSGM, but they can’t be the opposite either. I think the common denominator between the collaborations we’ve done and we’re doing is the irony and the irreverence that are also partly in MSGM’s DNA.
What is an aspect of the art world that surprises you?
Art is freedom and pure creativity.
Is there something about Italian culture that is inherently fashionable?
We are surrounded by beauty—wonderful places, art pieces, landscapes, monuments. Italy is a unique mix of beautiful things and they influence all the aspects of our lives, including fashion. To give you an idea about my personal experience, I was born and grew up in Rimini by the sea, just like Federico Fellini who was born and grew up there too. From when I was young through my adolescence, I’ve been in contact with the sea, colors, umbrellas and stripes all under the influence of fashion. After Rimini, I moved to Milan, an amazing city, full of hidden and surprising places. Then I discovered Florence, where every street gives you an emotion, each building and each monument you see while walking shocks you, like a magnificent art piece can shock. I was inspired by the Italian seaside and colors. MSGM’s first collections were influenced by Italian culture, which is the culture I know best: silhouette, designs, market, desires...
What would you dress the Pope in?
I recently finished watching the Paolo Sorrentino series The Young Pope, and I’d love to dress Jude Law interpreting Pope Pius XIII. I’d create a rich, ironic and allover printed outfit specially for him.
Does religion have a place in fashion?
I think religion is connected to individual spirituality. It’s not a social phenomenon like fashion is, even though I frequently see religious wardrobe contaminations in some collections.
What is the last thing that made you laugh?
I laughed a lot during the Nico Vascellari party for the opening of Codalunga studio, close to Treviso.
What advice would you give to your successor?
Be curious, cheerful, and have fun! Tell us about the last time you stayed up all night. I stayed up all night during the last US election, and I didn’t expect to see Trump win. Who is your favorite personality and why? Steve Jobs, because he changed the world and our habits.
