The Interview | The Magic of Monnalisa

Tell us all about the Monnalisa family. Does your mother–daughter dynamic influence the way you work?

Diletta Iacomoni: Monnalisa was founded in 1968 as a small artisan company, based on an idea of my father, Piero Iacomoni. It was already ambitious in its name, that of the Italian masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. A few years later, the person in charge of design left to have a much longed for baby and my mother took over. She was very young with two children, but had an incredible creative energy, which is in her family DNA. I assisted her as a little girl and after art school. Since then, we have worked as a team. My mum had me when she was 19 and the few years between us helped us to experience a sort of sisterhood and harmony. We have not experienced any generational clashes!

Barbara Bertocci: I agree. We've always had so many things in common: art, fashion and a huge emphasis on centring our world around family, something I instilled in both of my children. Working with Diletta was simple because we complement each other. I'm a reserved, disciplined, intimist. She is open, effervescent and very empathic in managing our large team of 30 people who share this wonderful work with us, who are the heart of Monnalisa: designers, seamstresses, prototype makers — all extremely talented people.

How do you set about creating a collection?

Diletta Iacomoni: The creative process begins with research. We live a very full life that gives us continuous inspiration for generating ideas. In particular, I spend a lot of time with my three children, two of whom are already grown up and have interests in both graphics and music and keep me up to date on contemporary trends. And then of course, I travel, I watch fashion shows, look through magazines and follow fashion trends with inexhaustible interest and curiosity.

Barbara Bertocci: The creative process is a combination of talents. In our team, everyone's contribution is important. I encourage everyone to spark their creativity, and I too work like this and live my life with constant curiosity. An exhibition, a trip, a view, an experience: anything can help generate ideas. Ideas that then materialise into a collection, with a lot of work, effort and discipline.

How do you relax as a family together? Do you talk about clothes all the time, or do you manage to take some time off?

Barbara Bertocci: One important rule is to find a balance between your home life and that of work. I have the great privilege of living close to my children and grandchildren. We see each other often, especially for lunch on the weekend. We do simple but very nourishing things for the spirit: we chat, cook, play cards, attend festivals, go for walks and tend the garden together.

Diletta Iacomoni: We only talk about work and, above all, work problems when we are at Monnalisa. We work a lot, so in our spare time the care and attention we devote to ourselves and the children is everything. I think it's nice for my kids to live near their grandparents. They have been a very close-knit couple for 50 years. They are an extraordinary example for all of us.

What was the inspiration behind the AW23 collection?

Diletta Iacomoni: In the autumn/winter collection, we played with a very contemporary styling. Short Spencer jackets, midi skirts, cut-outs. All very bold, but with lurex threads and silver bows that recall the romantic soul of our collection.

Barbara Bertocci: The trends that inspired us are dye-effect prints, Pantone colours such as Very Peri, botanical green, orange, and reinterpreted cargo trousers. We always focus a lot on prints, from Toile de Jouy to floral, which are to some extent our signature style.

Was it exciting to present a big catwalk show after a long hiatus? What was the highlight for you?

Barbara Bertocci: It is very important for us to experience the vibrations of a fashion show after six months of hard work. Feeling the emotions of over 100 small models and the excitement of an audience of over 800 people, was enormously gratifying — a testing ground of the excellence of our ideas and of the manufacturing quality.

Diletta Iacomoni: I believe that our fashion shows are very important moments that we share with our audience — journalists, insiders, customers, influencers — and that they help interpret the success the collection will meet on the market. Their palpable emotion rewards every effort and every exertion.

What makes your brand intrinsically Italian in a design sense?

Barbara Bertocci: The obstinate search for beauty and quality.

Diletta Iacomoni: I believe that our contemporary romantic style is an expression of our search for beauty, which is in our country’s DNA.