Silvio Betterelli - inspired by Sardinian femininity


 Silvio Betterelli

- Shortly introduce yourself.
- I am an Italian designer from Sardinia, a beautiful island located in the Mediterranean Sea; I believe that my culture and history are very important part of my attitude and way of making research and drawing.

- Describe yourself as a person and as a designer. How it is connected and how it is different?
- I believe that the two worlds are strongly connected. I usually wake up in the morning thinking about what can happen during my day. From the first coffee up to the last thoughts at night every experience is part of my research.


- When have you realized that you want to relate your life with creativity? What was your first made item that you were proud of? Do you still have it?
- When I was very young I was always creating things and drawings everywhere… then I started to print t-shirts and I created a small metallic cage-bag for a friend of mine who had a small white mouse. I am sure she still has it! The world of fashion was just a coincidence: I started to study art in a class that I could attend with some places left… Textiles design and the rest of my career was, let’s say, fate!

- What things inspire you?
- Everyday things… I love art and design, especially in the last few years. It’s all based on emotion and poetry more than in functionality.

- You grew up in Sardinia. Does it reflect in your creation somehow?
- Off course yes. The kind of old style women I grew up with, with their strong characters from the typically mood of the south and islands of Italy, but also the textures I always work with or the colours, are all parts of my DNA.

- Why womenswear? What new or different you are giving through your design?
- The fact that I’m working with womenswear is also a simple coincidence, because during my studies we were more focused on the women part. In the future I’ll probably work on menswear in fact I’ve already made a small capsule collection of special shirts for man that we presented during the menswear fashion week of Milan.
At the moment my research is moving towards the shape of the body and the use of experimental fabrics or prints that have been part of my background since I was student.


- If you could change or skip one part in the whole process from idea to final outcomes, what it would be?
- Of course I would change the timing. Comparing my work to other jobs I believe the timing of fashion sometimes is the limit of the research for a designer who could go further if he would have more time.

- What are your femininity ideals? How do you choose models for your shows, photo shoots, etc? Do you have an ideal of women or its concept, when you are designing?
- I imagine my ideal woman as a mixture of different elements that coexist; together ancient values, passions and ethereal mood. It’s a very interesting to say that I can recognize facial features, somatic particularities and similarities in people from Sardinia even if they are living abroad. Usually it happens to me travelling to find a typical face that reminds old pictures, values and atmosphere of Sardinia.

- Do you have big team around you?
- I am very lucky because my collection is produced by a partner that have decided to invest in: it’s a big staff and I really like to work with all my staff, composed by people that in these years have become a strong  presence on which I can count on.

- Your values (both life and design).
- Try and repeat. Always try to follow your feelings and instincts which is the only one that can tell you the truth.

- Name your biggest achievement.
- Mm, my best achievement… to “exist on the scene” because to find your own space despite how big is this space, and have the opportunity of express yourself, it’s very difficult. Sometimes more complicated that anyone can expect.


- Do you still need to march and fight to get public’s attention?
 - Yes, even if I already have some kind of, let say, audience, I always have to do my best to keep people and the market interested in my work.

- Future plans, hopes and dreams?
- Concerning my short term plan, I’m going to open a space in Milan, kind of atelier boutique where I want to meet my customers, design for them, make customized clothes for them and organize events.
Usually I like to collaborate and work with other artists and I’ll keep on doing this organizing shows and events. I’ve also co-founded a group called “’s.m.o.g.”. It’s very exciting to work with different materials as glass, ceramics or wood. I hope I’ll have time in the future to escape in different territories of art.
Hopes and dreams... well, I think for now, we just need to carry on with what we are doing and increase the success that can help us to develop and make always new researches.

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