My Style: Fannie Schiavoni
Photo: Courtesy of Fannie Schiavoni
The three essential things a woman should know about style are...
Style is subjective; style is illusion; style is overrated.
Please describe your style in three words.
Black, black, black.
What is the biggest mistake one can make when getting dressed?
I hate when people dress like they’re in a daytime American comedy show.
Do you believe in role models?
Sure.
What are your favourite fabrics?
Anything clear or see-through at the moment.
Are there any style combinations that you object to?
No.
Which city has the best-dressed women?
Tokyo—or actually best-dressed men. But I think it wins on both accounts.
Would you say that you are conservative or bold?
Unfortunately, conservative, bold on the inside.
What are the rules, if any, in the way you dress?
I don’t think too much about it. I feel that my life revolves too much around fashion as it is, so when it comes to day-to-day dressing, I just can’t be bothered. When going out to a party, I always wear my own pieces.
One garment/accessory that you can never have enough of?
My own. That’s why I keep making them, I guess.
A woman should always look like...
I wish I knew.
Who taught you what you know about style?
Magazines.
How do you select your clothing every morning?
Ha, I take them out of the pile on the sofa and make my husband smell them.
Your biggest regret is...
Not taking drugs when I was young and stupid.
We will never see you wearing...
Animal print or fur.
Which new designers do you follow and why?
Ros Millar. She was one of my very first interns. She is talented.
The most stylish person you have ever seen?
I guess Rihanna. She can rock pretty much anything.
What is the first thing you notice on a woman?
Her lips, hair, boobs.
What are the most treasured items in your wardrobe?
A pair of Maison Martin Margiela shoes and a Helmut Lang jacket.
The one image that defined your approach to style?
Bill Brandt.
Which designer never fails to impress you?
I don’t go on Style.com often enough to know what’s going on. But I guess Givenchy, Martin Margiela, and Hussein Chalayan, to name a few.
One article of clothing that a woman needs to pay close attention to is...
Her bras. There’s a lot of ugly bras out there.
Is comfort an enemy of style?
Not unless you want it to be.
Who would you like to see next in My Style?
Devendra Banhart if you’d consider musicians.
The best word of advice you have ever heard?
It’s all business; you can’t take it personally.
