Fashion Q&A: Christian Pellizzari

We came across designer Christian Pellizzari on accident, really, just looking through blogs and such, but when we saw his cheery, bright and sophisticated spring 2012 collection, we had to know more about the young designer, who has worked for the likes of Vionnet before branching out on his own. We emailed over a few questions and he promptly replied -- and made us even bigger fans than we were before.

OUT: What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?
Christian Pellizzari: What a beautiful day that's waiting for me -- I'm usually very optimistic!

What is your favorite dish -- is it from a restaurant or a homemade dish?
My favorite type of food is Italian, in general, but most of all I'm in love with desserts. There is a meringata that I get at a restaurant near Venice that is like a drug for me.

What is your first memory of thinking about fashion?
My first memory goes far back in time -- since I was very young I've always been interested in fashion. I was playing with some piece of fabric, trying to make something while visiting my aunties that had a tailoring shop. Since then fashion has always been a passion of mine.

Did you go to school to study fashion? If so, where did you go and what did you learn there?
I went to Polimoda in Florence. I love that city -- the art and the museum really inspired me and my work. I studied modernism because I'm really into the costruction of a jacket or a simple dress. Really, how to translate a design into a garment.

What would you be doing if you couldn't design fashion?
Sometimes I can see myself running a specialty boutique hotel where I'd make the clients feel like they are at home. Last summer I went to Panarea -- an amazing little island north of Sicily -- with no cars and only special. little hotels like that. I could really see myself having one of those places and turn it into a one-of-a-kind place.

What is your idea of a perfect Sunday?
My perfect sunday it's waking up on Lake Como, where I often visit, and having breakfast in a little pasticceria where they bake croissants fresh every day.Then I'd take the boat to the Bellagio Hotel and have lunch there. Priceless! Lake Como in spring and summertime -- it's so relaxing and peaceful.

What do you do to get ideas when you aren't feeling inspired?
If I'm in Paris I just leave my office and I walk around -- I get inspired by people or places. Going to an art exibit or to a park. For example, this last collection was inspired by my last trip to Istanbul. The color and the art there is incredibly powerful. The huge markets and the museum gave me so many ideas.

Who is your favorite writer? Artist? Filmmaker? Photographer? Favorite magazine? Why?
I have so many and I don't want mention one person and leave out someone else! I've read many different books from different writers and every year and I always go to some incredible exhibit. I just went to the Biennale in Venice. And all the fashion magazines have their own style, which is great -- I love them and I admire and respect their differences.

Who do you want to see in your designs? Who do you have in mind when you design?
The question when I design is always the same one: "Would I wear it?" Yes, every piece I design has to be something that I, myself, would wear. My approach to fashion is to make something that men would wear, simple as that.

When you're not designing, what are you doing? What hobbies do you participate in to get your mind off of work?
Even when I'm not designing -- which is very rare -- in fact, my job, it really becomes so much a part of your life that even if I'm not physically in my office or working, my mind is always thinking about something related to work -- a detail I'm obsessed with or somebody wearing a combination of interesting colors. But to decompress I'd just be hanging with my friends in Paris or back in Venice.

For more information on Christian Pellizzari, visit his website. You can purchase his clothing at Luisaviaroma.com