When you read a screenplay, what is the first thing you look at?
I always read the script twice.
The first reading is analytical. I identify and underline everything related to costume, from descriptive elements to every detail that may be relevant to my work.
The second reading is completely different. At this stage, I no longer think about clothes. I think about the character.
I try to understand who they are: the way they move, their gestures, their language, their dialect, their social background, their personality, their emotions — everything that contributes to defining them as a person.
For me, costume never begins with a garment.
It begins with a deep understanding of the character.
From that understanding, a visual language begins to emerge — one that encompasses not only costume, but also make-up, hair, colour, silhouette and every detail capable of making that person believable on screen.
But this is only the first step.
At this stage, the character exists only on the page.
When I meet the actor, the creative process continues.
The actor may have a physicality, a face, an energy and a stage presence very different from what I imagined while reading the script.
That is when the most delicate part of the work begins: finding a balance between the character as written, my creative vision and the reality of the actor who will bring that character to life.
I observe the actor’s natural colouring, physicality, the way they move and the way they inhabit the costume.
It is essential to me that an actor feels authentic and completely at ease, because an effective costume should never restrict a performance. It should support it.
Only when all these elements come together in harmony is the character truly complete.
Tell me about a situation on set when you had to solve a problem at the last minute.
​Unexpected problems are inevitable on set. What makes the difference is how you respond to them.
I remember the first day of filming a television series. It was a particularly important day: the producer, Rai delegates, the director and the entire crew were present. The tension was high, and everything was ready for the first take.
Just moments before we were due to start filming, one of the actor’s shoes suddenly lost its entire sole.
There was no time to replace it or stop the production.
In a matter of seconds, I made the decision myself: I removed the sole from the other shoe as well, immediately restoring visual consistency.
The scene was filmed without delay and without interrupting the work of the crew.
On set, I learned that when time is measured in seconds, experience is not simply about finding a solution. It is about making the right decision with clarity, composure and responsibility.
How do you present your creative vision to the director?
After studying the screenplay and building the identity of each character, I translate my ideas into a visual moodboard.
For me, a moodboard is much more than a collection of images or costumes.
It is a communication tool — a way of sharing a vision.
Through photography, colour palettes, fabrics, silhouettes, iconographic references and costume proposals, I create a visual language that begins to tell the story of the character before the costume itself is ever made.
Moodboards allow the director to visualise the identity of the characters and engage with a tangible, concrete interpretation of the world we are creating.
I believe creative dialogue becomes far more powerful when ideas are transformed into images. It is through images that a vision begins to take shape — and becomes something that can be shared, discussed and developed together.
Each moodboard is the first step towards creating a visual universe that is coherent with the film.
What role does colour play in your creative process?
For me, colour is one of the most powerful narrative tools in costume design.
From the very first reading of the screenplay, I begin to develop a chromatic identity for each character. Every choice is rooted in the character’s psychology, their evolution, and the story the film seeks to tell.
Sometimes colour reinforces the character’s personality; at other times, I deliberately use contrast to create narrative tension. Every decision is ultimately made in service of the story.
When I meet the actor, the process becomes even more nuanced.
I study their physicality, skin undertone, eye colour and hair colour, applying a method of colour analysis very similar to the one I use in image consulting. Using fabric swatches, I explore which colours enhance the face and which, instead, alter its appearance.
But the objective is not always to enhance.
If a character needs to appear tired, fragile, unwell or marked by life, I consciously choose colours that contribute to creating that effect.
Colour therefore becomes an expressive tool, rather than simply an aesthetic one.
Every colour decision is also discussed with the Director of Photography and the Production Designer.
I work closely with them to create a harmonious visual language, ensuring that costume, set design and cinematography complement one another rather than compete visually.
Finally, I see colour as an integral part of the character’s evolution.
Just as a person changes throughout their life, their colour palette can also transform over the course of a film, reflecting and accompanying their emotional and narrative journey.
How important is teamwork in your creative process?
Costume design never exists in isolation.
For this reason, I consider an ongoing dialogue with the director, director of photography, production designer, hair and make-up department, and all the professionals involved in shaping the visual identity of the film to be essential.
During pre-production, I organise meetings in the costume department even before costume fittings begin, inviting the director of photography and production designer to explore the wardrobe together.
We analyse colours, fabrics, patterns, materials and silhouettes.
Every choice is considered in relation to the cinematography, production design and overall narrative atmosphere.
For example, if a set is dominated by a particular colour palette, the costumes need to interact with that environment — creating harmony or contrast, depending on the needs of the scene.
I deeply believe that cinema is a collective art form.
Every department contributes to the final image, and costume acquires its full meaning only when it finds its place within the balance of all the other elements of visual storytelling.
“Cinema is a collective art form. Costume finds its meaning only when it enters into dialogue with cinematography, production design, direction, make-up and performance.”
How do you approach a project when the budget is very limited?
Throughout my career, I have often worked on productions with very limited financial resources.
In these situations, I have learned that budget alone does not determine the quality of the final result.
What makes the difference are the professional relationships built over time.
After more than thirty years in the industry, I have developed relationships of trust with film costume houses, military tailors, boutiques and skilled professionals with whom I have collaborated throughout the years.
When I truly believe in a project, I share with them my vision and the importance of the story we are telling.
This mutual trust often allows me to find solutions that go beyond conventional supplier relationships, making it possible to create high-quality costumes even when resources are limited.
I believe that a film project is not built on budget alone, but also on professional credibility, mutual respect, and the ability to bring people together around a shared creative purpose.
How does a costume come to life, from the first idea to its final realization?
When a costume is created from scratch, my creative process always begins with research.
I look for visual references through paintings, photographs, exhibitions, books and images that can help me build the character’s visual world.
I then develop the sketch, translating these ideas into a concrete costume proposal.
From there, a fundamental stage begins: the selection of materials.
I choose fabrics not only for their aesthetic qualities, but also for their weight, texture, drape and the way they will interact with the actor’s movement and with the cinematography.
My training as a pattern cutter and dressmaker allows me to understand from the very beginning whether a design is truly feasible, and to communicate with the costume workshop in an extremely practical and precise way.
During fittings, I follow every stage of the process through to the finished costume, ensuring that every detail contributes to creating the character as I originally envisioned.
For me, a costume does not begin when it is sewn.
It begins much earlier — when an idea starts to take shape through research, drawing, materials and collaboration.
What professional compliment has moved you the most?
Throughout my career, I have received many compliments, but there is one that has stayed with me.
It came from one of the last characters I created as a costume designer.
The actor played a mature man, an art curator who had lived for years with an unspoken love. He was an extremely delicate character, one who could easily have been portrayed through stereotypes.
Before beginning the project, I immersed myself in the world in which the character lived. I visited art galleries, observed how curators dressed, and sought to understand their aesthetic language.
My goal was not to create an eccentric character, but an authentic person.
At the end of the shoot, the actor said something to me that I will never forget:
“Thank you. You created this character’s wardrobe with great humanity. You never turned me into a stereotype. You helped me step into the character and move through the role naturally.”
Those words gave a deeper meaning to my work.
For me, costume should never draw attention to itself.
It should help the actor inhabit the character with authenticity.
What Do Actors Appreciate Most About Your Way of Working?
One of the things actors appreciate most about my approach is being involved in the creative process.
After studying the screenplay and developing my vision of the character, I create a moodboard that I present both to the director and to the actor.
For me, this moment is essential.
I never consider a moodboard simply a presentation tool. I see it as the beginning of a dialogue.
It allows the actor to see the creative journey, understand the character’s identity, colour palette, style, visual references and the atmosphere I have envisioned.
I am genuinely interested in hearing the actor’s perspective.
I want to understand whether they recognise themselves in the proposal, whether they feel the wardrobe will help them step into the character, or whether there are elements that we should explore further together.
I often include the other characters from the film in the moodboards as well.
This allows the actors to understand the visual language of the entire production and the aesthetic relationships between the different characters.
I believe costume is a tool for interpretation, and that dialogue with the actor is an essential part of the creative process.
When an actor feels involved from the very beginning, they approach the character with greater awareness and a greater sense of ease and authenticity.