Alithia Spuri-Zampetti Issue #39

London Calling

By Kirsten Kilponen
Published: March 1st, 2009 | 9:58am

Alithia Spuri-Zampetti is one of the newest names in fashion, but her kaleidoscopic wares have already impressed the design gods at Mt. Valentino. The 24-year-old’s form-fitting frocks and enormously eye-catching headdresses mimic crisp paper cut-outs and are rapidly redefining contemporary notions of what’s wearable.

VZ: Where does your design inspiration come from?
ASZ: “Japanese art and vintage clothes.”

VZ: What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far?
ASZ: “Winning the L’Oréal Young Talent Award 2008 — I felt like someone in love.”

VZ: How did your teachers at Central Saint Martins challenge your creativity?
ASZ: “At Saint Martins we are asked to create something that has never been done before. When we get marks on our projects, it doesn’t matter how pretty or how well the garment is executed, but how original it is, and how that piece reflects our personality as a designer.”

VZ: What has been your greatest learning experience at design school?
ASZ: “It was actually being a fit model for the other students when I first started. It gave me a chance to participate in all the fittings and presentations, and I learned from the criticism of the teachers and from the students’ mistakes. These lessons have been, and still are, really precious.”

VZ: What should we expect to see in your next collection?
ASZ: “A development of my past designs. I will be working mainly on the accessories, and I will take the technique for the encrusted embroidery used for the shoes to the next step.

VZ: Have any big name designers scooped you up?
ASZ: “I worked for a short period for Valentino by Alessandra Facchinetti, and now I am working for Bottega Veneta.”

VZ: Are there any trends you’re really raving about, or wish were in style?
ASZ: “I love the creations of Roberto Capucci and I am sorry that not many people know them because truly they are treasures of fashion and art. I wish that this label could be re-introduced into modern fashion.”

VZ: What do you think sets apart your generation’s fashion aesthetic from previous ones?
ASZ: “The new designers that are emerging at the moment — especially the ones from London like Christopher Kane, Gareth Pugh, Sandra Backlund, Mary Katrantzou — are bringing to fashion a new wave of optimism. Against the economy crisis they use lots of bright colours, and against mass production they pay great attention to craftsmanship.”