My Style: Fannie Schiavoni
Photo: courtesy of Fannie Schiavoni
Q: The three essential things a woman should know about style are…
Style is subjective; style is illusion; style is overrated.
Q: Please describe your style in three words.
Black, black, black.
Q: 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.
Q: Do you believe in role models?
Sure.
Q: What are your favourite fabrics?
Anything clear or see-through at the moment.
Q: Are there any style combinations that you object to?
No.
Q: Which city has the best-dressed women?
Tokyo—or actually best-dressed men. But I think it wins on both accounts.
Q: Would you say that you are conservative or bold?
Unfortunately, conservative, bold on the inside.
Q: 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.
Q: One garment/accessory that you can never have enough of?
My own. That’s why I keep making them, I guess.
Q: A woman should always look like…
I wish I knew.
Q: Who taught you what you know about style?
Magazines.
Q: 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.
Q: Your biggest regret is…
Not taking drugs when I was young and stupid.
Q: We will never see you wearing…
Animal print or fur.
Q: Which new designers do you follow and why?
Ros Millar. She was one of my very first interns. She is talented.
Q: The most stylish person you have ever met…
I guess Rihanna. She can rock pretty much anything.
Q: What is the first thing you notice on a woman?
Lips, hair, boobs.
Q: What are the most treasured items in your wardrobe?
A pair of Maison Martin Margiela shoes and a Helmut Lang jacket.
Q: The one image that defined your approach to style?
Bill Brandt.
Q: 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.
Q: One article of clothing that a woman needs to pay close attention to is…
Bras. There’s a lot of ugly bras out there.
Q: Is comfort an enemy of style?
Not unless you want it to be.
Q: Who would you like to see next in “My Style”?
Devendra Banhart if you’d consider musicians.
Q: The best word of advice you have ever heard?
It’s all business; you can’t take it personally.
