Her name is now famous and her bags are even more. Paula Cademartori is the Italian-Brazilian designer who won over fashionistas and buyers from all around the world in less than five years with her super fashion coloured it-bags. She is now preparing to live two new adventures: the launch of the first collection of shoes branded Paula Cademartori and her presence at Milan Design Week with the installation “Paula” that pays tribute to her shoe collection. For the occasion, Quotidianomime.com interviewed the designer who has recounted her experience, her history and her future plans …

Tell us a little bit about who Paula Cademartori is: who she is, where she comes from, what is her education and why has she landed in Milan.

Well, what about, Paula Cademartori is primarily a designer of accessories as well as an entrepreneur. I was born and raised in Brazil, more precisely in Porto Alegre. Here I started to cultivate great passion for fashion. I still remember when I was a child, the time I spent playing with clothes, accessories and jewelry of my maternal grandmother. Growing this simple game has become a real passion and, therefore, a dream to be realized. After studying industrial design and the parallel experience in the jewelry industry, I decided in 2005 to move to Milan to cultivate and deepen my passion for design and accessories as well as my education. I studied Accessories Design at “Istituto Marangoni” and later I acquired  basic managerial skills thanks to Young fashion manager course at the “SDA Bocconi University”. Later I had the opportunity to work for two years with Donatella Versace, learning a lot about the world of accessories. In 2010, after participating in the competition of Vogue Talents and be selected among the 140 emerging designers of the moment I decided to launch my namesake brand creating my first collection, spring / summer 2011, and today I continue this beautiful adventure not only  with the collection of bags, but also with a new line of footwear introduced for the first time with the Fall / Winter 2015 collection.

What were your initial difficulties in opening and developing your brand.

Surely it was not an easy choice to create  a brand anew. For a new brand there are manyninitial difficulties and obstacles, you have to consider the high investment costs, taxes, and certainly the long search tied to suppliers and manufacturers.

Not for this, however, we must be discouraged over against  the first “No” or the first obstacles. The hard work and strong determination in my own goals and projects are what allowed me to emerge in this reality. These difficulties, however, can also be seen as an asset, problems are our master and perhaps they are the most beautiful things that contribute to the growth and to the formation of each of us.

Why have you decided to create bags and not clothes? What is a bag for you, what does it represent?

Because I love accessories. They have always been a point of reference since I was a child , I preferred them to toys. I still remember that I cut paper silhouettes to make dolls to dress as I wanted, I used the shoe boxes to build real “Interior” in miniature.

In my opinion accessories complete and refine the style of each of us. Having the right accessory makes the difference, can enhance our dress or our looks, but the important thing is that they must be matched to the personality of each of us.

A bag should make you beautiful, it must be the element that makes heads turn, must express an opinion, and I hope my collection can communicate this message.

What is your creative process in creating a collection? What inspires you and how do you get inspired?

I find my inspiration in everything that gives me a thrill. Inspiration can sometimes arise from a detail, sometimes from an idea that turns into while I am working, shortly from everything that at that precise moment tells me something beautiful. I love art and photography, but also music and film: I think that inspiration is everywhere, just grasp it.

However fundamental in the creation of my collections is also research.

Stylistic research but also seen as the need to understand and study what people are wearing right now, what are the needs of the market, with the aim to create real objects of desire: I would say the real “Bags Shoes to collect. “

What is your target?

Cosmopolitan and passionate women who appreciate the high quality and the value of a product.

Every woman with a style and a unique personality and that does not undergo the dictates of fashion, but that recognizes the craftsmanship of an accessory that lasts.

Fashion and style can go hand in hand?

Why not? Certainly the style is something more personal and innate in all of us. Fashion is fleeting, it comes and goes, but style is unique and timeless.

Which celebrity would you like  to wear your bags and, now, even your shoes?

Surely more than one! But I can say to be very happy to have seen my creations worn by women like Jane Fonda, Kiley Minogue, Olivia Palermo, Natasha Poly, to name a few. See that people appreciate my products makes me really proud and motivates me every day.

Tell us a little bit aboutthe story of your line of shoes. How have you decided to launch a collection of footwear? What inspired them? The shoes are Paula Cademartori  bags accessories or viceversa?

The shoes have always been a great passion of mine, I still remember when I attended in 2009 to Vogue Talents with a project entirely dedicated to shoes. The idea to launch this first capsule is an evolution of the brand both stylistically and strategically, is my desire to expand the proposed product categories with the aim to reach new markets and new potential customers. The inspiration comes from the same stock exchanges – which coordinates the selection of materials, colours and details – the value of combining luxury and excellence of Italian craftsmanship in an extremely sensual and feminine contemporary woman.

What are Paula Cademartori’s trends for the next Fall/Winter and for this summer?

For this summer much, much color! The sense of color in fact together with the preciousness of the graphic patterns and the aesthetics of the volumes and geometries are the main references of the Spring / Summer 2015 collection for that I let myself be inspired both by my Brazilian origins, combining art and design Oscar Niemeyer, Kleber Matheus, Eric Trine and Will Bryant, and by the preciousness and uniqueness of the decorations and precious gems of an antique table that belonged to King Philip II of Spain.

For the upcoming Fall / Winter, instead, I let myself be inspired by the colours of the deep seabed and space along with the iridescence of magical insects like beetles. Stay tuned!

The plans for the future? What about a man line?

Among the main objectives for the year 2015 is definitely the consolidation of the company, the product and its distribution. Currently the collections are divided into two ,main and pre, and are distributed four times a year to ensure a constant presence in the stores as well as greater visibility. With the new Fall / Winter 2015 have been introduced new product categories, such as shoes and small leather goods, but to my wishlist I also have a further expansion of the range of products with the aim to make the brand the expression of a lifestyle in everything.

Among the dreams there is instead the opening of a first store Paula Cademartori.

The men’s line instead, will still have to wait!

Define your style in three words.

Three are not enough adjectives to describe my style! I wear what I like, I like to mix unique patterns and sought to vintage pieces. They are, however, the personality, the individual approach and the character to give that extra touch. I think that fashion is something that comes from the need of every person to express ‘themselves’ and that’s why I think it should be based on individuality and personality, not on trends and standardization.

What do you think is the ‘perfect bag’?

The perfect bag has to be both functional and beautiful. Must be the secret casket of every woman and at the same time it must communicate every personality.

The three things (clothing and accessories) that can not miss in a woman’s closet.

Colored coat, sensual shoes, hand bag.

What advice would you give to a young people who want to approach the world of fashion and create their own line?

I think it is important for a young designer to seize the opportunities that arise. It ‘s very important to be very determined and never lose sight of their goals. It is a tough world and what we need is tenacity, hard work, and passion. We must never give up over against the first “No” and obstacles but try to deal with them better, they often represent a pattern of growth and stimulus.

Images: Courtesy Press Office