Gia Ventola Interview

New York City fashion designer gia ventøla knows how to expertly capture the laidback sexiness and sophistication of the independent city woman. Her debut ready-to-wear and jewelry collection, “Whispered Beauty,” epitomizes exactly that quality in its palette of muted neutrals balanced by effortlessly sexy cuts. gia ventøla, who has designed for numerous celebrities including Cher, Wyclef Jean, and Britney Spears, has built a smart collection that is both versatile and memorable, harmonizing and fluid. Cliché caught up with gia ventøla for an intimate look at the development of the collection.
Cliché: What was your greatest inspiration behind the “Whispered Beauty” collection?
gia ventøla: My inspiration comes from a simple statement: I AM. I wanted to create a line that makes the same simple, powerful statement. “Elegance” is a synonym for beauty with additional connotations of effectiveness and simplicity. Of course, behind the simplicity you see in my creations, there is complex system of lines, production, and fine combinations of colors that are thought and conceived over years of study and attentive observation. This is how I see women: multidimensional universes with great complexity and unique balances, who appear simply beautiful. This is my collection; this is who I AM.
Where do you normally find inspiration for your creations?
I feel that we are in a stage of our history where the fashion world is going to be shifted in a different way to the simple, yet single distinction of seasons. On our customer demand, I started to define a season-less and beyond time state of mind. The women who are wearing gia ventøla are those that are free to be stylishly assertive and want to be free of the restrictions of mainstream logic. Nevertheless, my collections are soaked in the actual trend, and are extremely versatile and effortless.
How much of your personal style do you put into your work?
We go back to the first statement, I AM. My collection is what I feel and live. I AM blessed to have known many different cultures, people, and especially working hands on in this industry over years, receiving all the love from my family first, then to all the amazing people that I met along my journey, that has inspired me.

How long were you working on the “Whispered Beauty” collection?
As this was the debut collection and we used exclusive prints and solids, as well as developing the USA best factory connections, the collection was formed in 18 months.
What are your favorite materials to work with when creating clothing and jewelry?
I am always looking for the most unusual materials and one-of-a-kind pieces that are extremely hard to duplicate or copy. We take a lot of time to put the most meticulous workmanship in every piece and want all our collections to be the best product that a consumer can buy in the USA.
What is your design process like?
I spend an enormous amount of time talking to my clients and finding their needs and particular tastes. My research extends to watching worldwide fashion trends as I am understood particularly well by the Asian and European markets.
I understand that you’ve dressed many celebrities. Who has been your favorite client and why?
Actually every celebrity has their own fashion sense and I enjoyed every one while trying to keep my sense of design and their sense of appealing to their public image.
What is the future of gia ventøla?
I have great plans running. My team and I are working on an articulate and new concept that has something to do with the ‘naked truth,’ which is also the name of my blog. Nevertheless, I hope to share my visions with all that have the power to create their own world, being enthusiastically assertive.


 
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“Gia Ventola Interview” originally appeared in Cliché Magazine’s Dec/Jan 2015 issue
Photographs courtesy of gia ventøla