'ME AND MY FASHION'
As a child, I used to go with my mother Mariella Gardella and help her in her styling for Linea Italiana, a high-profile fashion magazine, at the time which was on par with Vogue. The Mondadori building housed many prolific titles under its umbrella. My mother Mariella was hailed “la Gardella” as she produced many high-profile editorials as a prominent fashion Journalist and Editor working with photographers regularly such as Irving Penn, Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton, and Norman Parkinson. She interviewed the top names in international fashion and Art - ranging from Diana Vreeland to Yves St. Laurent, Armani and Missoni – and design, such as Ettore Sottsass, Philip Starck and Piero Pinto, and the iconic Andy Warhol to name a few. Her style and aesthetic were intrinsically passed on to me, and I followed in her footsteps, and I was thus given the humble and privileged title of, “la Gardellina.”
My fashion career has encompassed many different periods of fashion. My story is full of surprises, amusement and creative exploration through fashion and its image. When I finished at 18 years old at my linguistic school in Milan, I started to work for Per Lui, a young men’s magazine directed by the iconic Editor in Chief, Franca Sozzani. It was a very interesting time working with her, and it was full of new and vivid experiences. I then followed by working for L’uomo Vogue magazine with director Cristina Brigidini, who was my greatest teacher and inspiration. Becoming a “Condé' Nast Girl” allowed me to be very passionate towards my work and my creative dreams. I worked my way up to becoming a Fashion Editor, and whilst working there I undertook my journalist exam which would be a fundamental progression to aid in my fashion style and aesthetic knowledge. I subsequently joined Grazia weekly magazine where I could perfect my journalistic journey.
My journalistic career brought me away from Milan and made me experience a new life in eclectic London. I arrived in London in a great period for fashion, precisely in 1993. I started to work for British magazines such as contributing for Elle, Sky and sometimes Harper’s & Queen. Suddenly, I was hailed the Queen of Harper’s myself, enjoying beautiful fashion and press trips at the beginning of a new English career. Fiona Macpherson, my then Editor was supportive in my endeavours as a Fashion Editor, and was always a true inspiration. I became more and more confident with the English market as well and she decided to promote me as the Deputy Fashion Director of Harpers.
My theatrical, dramatic and inventive visions of fashion could finally reach my best purpose: “invent always something new without copying anyone.” This has been my motto for my life in fashion, staying original to my vision and having a unique style and aesthetic. In my career I have been privileged to collaborate with photographers such as Deborah Turbeville, Mario Testino, Ruvén Afanador and many more. I am currently Fashion Director of The Protagonist Magazine in London. The Protagonist is a biannual intellectual approach to fashion for those who are interested in fashion, art, design, photography, and performance. I continue to collaborate with high profile editorials and advertising campaigns internationally.
2014-Today Fashion Director The Protaganist Magazine
2009-2014 Fashion Director Drama magazine
1999-2004 Deputy Fashion Director Harpers & Queen
1997-1999 Senior Fashion Editor Harpers & Queen
1995-1997 Fashion contributor Harpers & Queen
Freelance Fashion Editor italian Elle,
Vogue Spagna, Vogue gioiello,
L'uomo Vogue,
Vogue bambini, english Sky
1993-1994 Fashion Editor L'uomo Vogue
1991-1993 Fashion Editor Grazia Italia
1987-1990 Fashion Editor L'Uomo Vogue
1984-1987 Fashion Assistant Per Lui