The Diary of Giulia Taglialatela, Stylist & set designer, MM Award 2023 juror member. Welcome to Caleido, an inspirational diary, that narrates many stories: about creative people, trends, travels, objects. / Read the Editor’s letter here
Diary of: @giulia_taglialatela
1. What is your relationship with design symbolism, i.e. your relationship with iconic design pieces?
I’m the daughter of art and design collectors. Historical pieces have inhabited our homes since I was a child. You could say that art has always been part of my dna.
2. In your work as a stylist, you are constantly surrounded by objects. What is the value of an object? What attracts you most?
I’m an aesthete, constantly searching for beauty… I love experimental materials, unusual shapes and colours.
3. Archaic artefacts, obsolete techniques, ‘old school’ materials. What is your relationship with the old in a work where the new is so abundant?
My Neapolitan origins and the strong culture of craftsmanship in our traditions have always made me consider ‘the antique’ as an actual work of art, both for its history and manufacturing process. I love the juxtaposition of the antique with the contemporary. I always include something antique in my designs to give character and add a note out of context.
4. In a provocative sense, there are those who claim that interior design, as much as fashion design, has become a mere matter of styling. Where styling they imply something post-hypothetical, transitory, or insubstantial. What do you think of this statement? In what does the value of styling lie?
The stylist, for me, is the one who manages to have a vision before others can even imagine it. He has a keen sense of proportion, aesthetics and the iconography images carry. The skill of a stylist is mainly to tell a hidden story through the combination, selection and positioning of objects.
5. Speaking of inspiration: where do your design compositions come to life? Are there creative rituals that help you create?
Each project is it is own. My work spans and touches several fields, so the rituals I have for creating are different. It can be said that what unites everything a bit is the development of an initial moodboard. Utilizing key points representing theme, brand, and space, I collect images that, in terms of colour, shape, and concept, interpret the required communicative objective for me.
6. As an MM Award judge, what do you expect? What aspects of young creatives most intrigue you?
It is very important to be up-to-date and in step with the times in creative work. Young people are always a source of novelty and new points of view. I expect to be confronted with them to grasp and increase my vision.
7. Is there a creative field that you have yet to explore or to which you would like to devote more time?
Today, the new trend of 3D, also in the world of interior design, is definitely the new frontier. I would love to be able to go deeper and have the opportunity to experience it.
8. Part of your work involves scouting for new designers and artists. What characteristics do you look for in the projects of emerging talent?
Personally, I love the ability of new talent to interpret the moment’s trend in an original way instead of decoding the ‘old’.
9. Thinking about our homes, through social networks, we disseminate more and more images of them, thus turning them into a new extension of ourselves. What is your relationship with your home?
My house is a mirror of who I am. Late 19th century walls and interiors with a classic salvaged taste. The aesthetic combines contemporary artwork and modern and iconic furniture, with an ethnic touch that makes it timeless.
10. What is an object in your home that you would never give up? What is the memory attached to it? Would you send us a photo taken by you?
Without a doubt, the paintings. Burri’s works were among the first things I brought with me. For months they were the only furniture in my space.
