My day is mainly spent in my studio which is in my home. I love to be able to have my own personal space where I work, design, do illustrations, paint etc. I normally wake up, have my coffee and soon after just spend my day there doing the La Come Di tasks of the day. I work alone and I still love it even if at times it can be isolating.

Definitely! Italian culture is so rich in art and design that it is almost impossible not to be inspired by it. I have always loved fine art since I was a kid, my memories of spending hours drawing are really vivid and happy memories. I loved to spend time in my grandad’s studio; he is an interior designer and painter. Through school I also studied architecture and furniture design which really shaped who I am as a designer today. I’m really close to artistic movements of the last century, like Memphis Milano founded by Sottsass, the trippy visuals and illusions of Vasarely, the Bauhaus architecture and its beautiful geometric lines and the crazy surrealism of Dada to name a few.

I worked as an art director for many years in international advertising agencies and that was a beautiful ride. A tough one but beautiful in many ways as I got to work for important brands and grew into the creative I am today. I can confidently say my extensive skill sets started growing from there as I learnt to work with amazing creatives, photographers, illustrators etc.

I reached the point where I wanted to focus on my creativity instead of doing heavy projects for others. I always liked the idea to try and have my own studio. LCD started as an open project, a hybrid between design and fashion. I had to learn and master new skills to be able to design fashion pieces. Creating prints and designs is the easiest part for me so I’m still learning. But 2020 was a really important year for me and La Come di, that’s when I really focused on making the brand a real independent brand.

I totally do, being an independent designer, I have to juggle between everything possible to make LCD thrive. For example, I lately found out I really enjoy photographing myself, my models and lookbooks. It allows me to control the creative direction as I envision it in my head. I also do love to collaborate with other people of course but sometimes using different skills is the fastest easiest way especially when it’s just a small brand like LCD. I also wish I had 30 hours a day to be able to create more, that’s for sure.

It has happened before, I made the set for our debut runway in 2019. Having said that, the type of techno I play is really dark and fast so it’s definitely the other side of my personality that I like to keep separated. My DJ name is Dea and I hope I can start producing one day.

I’m based in Dubai because of family reasons and as of now after Covid it looks like I won’t be moving back anytime soon unfortunately. I definitely feel a bit isolated being here and I miss Europe, but Dubai is also a nice place for many other things, like being part of a city that has so many cultures. There is a thriving creative scene and I have to say it’s very different, so there is not much of a common ground with my work, but it’s something good to see and experience.

I think it takes a few years to narrow through all the million things you are close to as an artist and find your own style. When it comes to mine, it took me until now to funnel through all these stimuli and combine them together in a good way. But also taking life itself as inspiration and things I experienced and love to create my own vision.

The last collection was literally me as clothing. I went through some life changes, the brand changed and of course Covid lockdowns were happening so it was such a weird time, [it was] painful in a way, but I really wanted to put all myself out there, using the most representative work that is close to my heart as an artist. When it comes to creating ideas for a collection I don’t have a specific process, sometimes I get ideas in the weirdest hours, sometimes I have to really focus and get inspired by a lot of other things. I can just say I’m working now on the next collection and there is still that colourful printed LCD look and feel throughout, but I added some more 3D elements by layering fabrics or creating shapes in a different way. I am really excited to show it to the world.

Going back home really helps me focus or any time there is some change, that’s what works best. It could be changes in the weather or places I am, travels or just  a change within me. Some months are really hard to find motivation too, as many creatives, we all suffer with our really high sensitivity so as of now I’m okay being in my studio and surrounding myself with good things for my soul.

I definitely want to continue focus on my fashion path and keep growing the brand, but also work more on my illustration and I want to expand on that area. I literally would love to do so many things in my mind, but it’s way too much (laughs). I could see myself being a photographer, designing homeware, being a music producer…it’s honestly a bit endless with me. I love to keep learning and challenging myself.