So, I came up with the idea of designing and creating a line of cashmere for little
ones. I wanted it to be fun, cute and classy and, above all, to feature many different
colours and styles.
In 2000, my second work of art was born: my daughter, Monica. She entered the
world at the same time as my very first cashmere collection. In a way, Cashmirino
became another child and, as with my own children, I went through different
stages and transformations with my young business.
In 2003, I gave birth to my third and final masterpiece: my son, Nicola. He very
quickly became a great teacher for me, as I realised I had no idea what to design
for a big, masculine newborn. Having a boy is quite different from having girls. My
prior newborn collections were designed for delicate forms like those of my two
little daughters. My son, however, was definitely not delicate. He was strong and
round, not small and dainty. He looked better in more intense colours, like blue
and green. Pale tones did not suit him. They made him look very red - just like a
bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau! This inspired me to develop and expand my range.
I started playing with new designs and introduced new materials. Cotton made
its debut, and I began to create pretty, fifties-style dresses for my daughters, who
loved to spin around in them and watch the skirts make soft waves in the air. I loved
my son in shirts with Grandad collars, so they became part of the collection.
Quality was always top priority, and I committed to designing with 100% natural
fibres, like cashmere, cotton, linen and silk. I am a strong believer that children
should only wear natural textiles to allow their sensitive skin to breathe.
