We have seen the roast and now we can say without a doubt that Spiga2's emerging designers for FW 12 are not only talented, but creative people we personally want to get to know. A first encounter with Italian designer Caterina Gatta is full of charm and fashion discoveries.

Swide: Your first fashion memory as a kid?
Caterina: My mother's magazines, she had so many and I loved browsing through them, day dreaming about the women in it, their beautiful clothes. I tried to imagine what their lives were like.

Swide: What were your first steps in fashion?
Caterina: I've graduated from the Università La Sapienza in Fashion and Costume Sciences; while still studying I became the assistant of a journalist during Milan's Fashion week, Paris, then I worked at Elio Ferraro. It's there that I started my passion for vintage. I was fascinated by all the work that went into picking out the pieces for sale. There was a meticulous selection of clothes, they were treated like works of art. In time, my initial curiosity took a different form: I wanted to save a memory, recuperate objects that belonged to someone else, I loved to question what they were used for and in which occasion.

Swide: Who are your muses, your sources of inspiration?
Caterina: Diane Vreeland and Franca Sozzani have always been my muses. Two women of unconventional taste and aesthetics. Everything can inspire, the important thing is to keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings. Usually, I look at old photos or at architecture, I mix everything with musics and films I like.

Swide:  You use a lot of vintage textiles: where do you find them?
Caterina: Finding the textiles is what thrills me the most. It's a never ending job and it involves a lot of travel, Italy, Paris, London.

Swide: Do silhouettes dress the fabric or vice versa?
Caterina: I like to start with the fabric and then get to the silhouette. I try to keep in mind the color, the era, the weight of the silk, and then I let my mind create. It's hard to find a single theme in my collections. It can vary from romantic, Valentino, Lancetti, Clara Centinaro and Fausto Sarli fabrics, to fierce, especially with Gianni Versace fabrics.

Swide: Caterina Gatta's must-have?
A white shirt, red heels, leather shorts, flower dresses for summer, men's sweaters for winter.

Swide: Define your style in three adjectives?
Caterina: Elegant, ironic, unique.

Swide: Define the Caterina Gatta woman in three adjectives? 
Caterina: Feminine, independent, unique.

Swide: Can you tell us the mood of the collection we find in Spiga2?
Caterina: There isn't one mood, it all varies according to the fabric... I let the colors speak first and then I create the silhouette. Fall Winter is very romantic, there are a lot of soft colors, I used them for micro skirts or on pink brocade jackets with a beige cashmere lining, there are also rock-glam pieces like the bright colored skirts with a tundra lining.

Swide: What do you think of the Spiga2 project? How does it feel to take part in it?
Caterina: It's an ambitious and important project. It's nice to see an established brand, Dolce&Gabbana, invest on young designer unknown to most. Today's emerging brands will be the future, the industry has to give them opportunities and space for growth. We shouldn't forget how important fashion is for Italian economy, developping new brands is crucial in being innovative and competitive. My Spiga2 experience has been a wonderful surprise and I feel honored to be part of it. 

Interview by Acelya Yonac

Watch the Caterina Gatta Collection below:

Discover all Spiga2 Designers on Swide