Name: Licia Florio
City: Milan
Age: class ’85
Current position: I paint, write interviews, create collections of clothing and accessories, I am a stylist, I manage my company and I always think about new projects.
Licia studied Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni and her first job in fashion was at Marni as an assistant for the footwear designer. Not satisfied, she decided to start her clothing brand now focused on shoes. In the interview, she explains why she chose that course, what inspired her to start her brand, what she recommends to those who want to start their own, her morning routine and much more.
Enjoy it!
You studied Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni, why did you choose this course and what did you learn most?
When I finished high school, I didn’t know the job I wanted to do so I decided to follow one of my passions. Even today I do not know how to define, in a grid or with a word, what my job is because, growing up and making experiences, everything has become possible.
Curiosity led me to experiment in many fields allowing me to be free and aware.
Istituto Marangoni does not follow a conceptual vein, has commercial and very technical teaching: you learn how to build a collection (from paper patterns to the presentation of garments in a fashion show) to work in a fashion house.
I learned all the possible concepts and I made treasure and then transform that knowledge in my favor by building my brand.
What was the job of your dream while in school?
Maybe when I was studying I dreamed of working for Prada or Marni, but as soon as I finished school, I immediately changed my mind.
What was your first job in fashion?
I worked for Marni as an assistant to Matteo Mena, then head of footwear.
You started your brand Licia Florio brand in 2010. What inspired you to start and why shoes?
I was working at Marni, but I was not happy.
I had a pair of white and green patent leather shoes, ugly that I wanted to eliminate. Francio has never loved throwing objects; he has always preferred to give them away or look for a second life, so he stimulated me and asked me to rethink that object. That same evening the prototype of our first shoe model was born: a classic brogue we painted with a black spray, to which we cut the tongue removed the strings and applied the studs.
How has your brand evolved?
It has evolved with my personal growth. None of my family has ever worked in fashion and no one has ever advised me, so I learned everything thanks to the thousand mistakes and thousand surprising discoveries. Licia Florio was born as a clothing brand and then focused on footwear. To date, I am working on a wider vision that includes clothing again.
What advice do you give to girls who want to start their brand? Where to start from and how to survive the first months?
I recommend investing wisely, spending little by doing a small test of the market among friends to see if the product works. I advise not to be jealous of ideas, but to share them for feedback and to understand how to set the brand. I suggest to be curious, to read and study, to be interested in topics that are not just fashion.
Your morning routine?
I am traveling often and therefore always changes.
Usually, I wake up, I wash my face and prepare breakfast that can be an avocado toast or porridge with fruit, I drink matcha tea or a cappuccino with hazelnut milk if I go to the bar. In this period I’m drinking a potion suggested by an Australian friend made of hot water, a shot of Bragg raw, unfiltered apple vinegar, a drop of honey and a little bit of cayenne pepper.
If I can, I practice yoga it is one of my favorite activities.
What is to you the most interesting career in fashion?
Fashion is an industry that allows you to feel infinitely free but equally forced if you can not manage the emotions and feelings.
Many areas can be work-stimulating and exciting. The fashion industry is composed of many figures from production to finance, from photo shoots to fashion shows, from buying to creating collections, from research to the selection of materials, the list is endless.
To me, the most interesting career is that which allows you to be happy.
What’s on your desk?
In my office I do not have a desk, I like moving around.
I love working at the bar and usually, I always have a plant and a juice next to me.
When did you start your new project Big Small Talks project and why?
I started Big Small Talks because I was in a painful moment and what gave me courage was seeing many of my friends or people I admire, who were doing interesting projects and were happy.
So I thought that if this process had been useful for me, it could be for many other people.
BST wants to create a community of women who support themselves, women who have a vision of their life, who make mistakes without being ashamed and learn from them to do better. BST is a project that wants to give incentives, which wants to create sharing and dialogue between people.
Where do you see yourself and your brand in a couple of years?
I can not answer because the only certainty in my life is Francio, no matter in which city or continent, the important thing is to be together.
My brand instead I always see it with me, evolving in search of simplicity and balance.
Your daily look?
White tee, a pair of light jeans with a high waist and barefoot if possible.
