Happy Birthday Cesare: an interview with our Art Director for his birthday

My mother's work, which I have followed since I was little, has certainly inspired me a lot because I was born in a shop. I have always been fascinated by how passion for clothing and fashion was so stimulating for her, input that she passed on to me even though she has a more commercial eye than my more creative approach (even though I have not never neglected business).

She is the one who inspired me more than anyone and shaped me towards this world: I drew a lot, I studied fashion, I was always inspired by characters, designers, stylists, creative directors as well as the experience with Anna Dello Russo; I worked for Officiel where they helped me a lot to open my mind and see fashion also as a tool of communication and change.

In reality, I am inspired by anything, primarily by nature and current events. I use clothes as a communication tool to send a message, to communicate an idea, a discomfort, a passion, a change and this is very important especially when working with children because they are the future generation, the one that will carry our world forward. So I try to teach them to express themselves and to accept their personality and be proud of it because unfortunately that's not always the case.

Society has shaped us and imposed limits on us according to which we should fit into these boxes; my goal is, instead, to leave anyone free to express themselves and be themselves. Certainly, on a much more practical level, social media and my travels have helped me a lot, research that I do when I go to America, France, Dubai. I try to draw an X through social media, which today is the easiest means of research and inspiration because there really is everything.

The kidswear brand that I have always been in love with is Mini Rodini. It is a very inclusive, unisex brand, it was one of the first to talk about sustainability, about acceptance; represented and still represents animals that are usually never used as illustrations for children such as bats, mice, animals in short that "we decided" not to be beautiful, good or good so I have always admired the courage of Cassandra (creative director of Mini Rodini). In addition to being a very good illustrator, she was able to reproduce and communicate the concept of sustainability, inclusiveness and celebration of any living form, which is why I have always appreciated her. Let's say that she was very inspiring for me especially when you live in a world where you go in the safe direction.

We always tend to use light blue for children, we use animals such as the teddy bear and the bunny; she, however, used colors such as black, yellow and gray and depicted black mice, pigeons, spiders and black cats as animals: this is what I appreciate in a person, the courage to change things.

My typical day is to wake up very early (actually let my dogs wake me up), meditate, train (not every day), have breakfast, go to the office to answer emails, have meetings etc. What I like most, however, is that I take a break with my dogs because I have to take them out (I take them myself) so let's say that they make me break away from the routine for a moment, from always being in front of the PC and concentrated.

Those 5 minutes with them make me breathe air, see a bit of greenery, look outside and then in the evening usually at home or in a small bar away from home and relax with friends or even alone.

Yes, for me, sustainability and respect for animals are the most important values ​​to believe in, perhaps the most important after family and love. It is fundamental because as a human being I do not feel superior to animals and nature. I believe that we all have the same right to live and enjoy our time on earth. It destroys me to think that unfortunately some animals are used for food, others as furnishing objects (ivory for example) and I find this objectification of animals horrendous.

The choice in this regard changed my inner energy a lot. I remember that before becoming vegan I ate meat, drank milk etc. and after this decision I spiritually feel much lighter: before I ate the pain of those animals that they felt when they were killed, the fear they felt when they were beaten, locked up, separated from their parents as happens for example to calves. Now I feel that it is precisely the energy and inner peace that have transformed, I no longer have that pain, I no longer have that fear that was given to me by the animals that were killed.

I no longer put their fear in my body because I respect them, I love them, I have decided to respect their life because, in reality, we have invaded their territories: when we see an animal hit on the street I always think it's their fault ours because we created it there, they don't even know what it is. Here it is also important to never take anything for granted, you always have to look at things from another point of view, for me this is fundamental. I can therefore say that my life has changed for the better, absolutely.

Family, freedom and contemporaneity. We transformed a provincial shop that was important but still a village one, not knowing it was a large container of values. So, we transformed a shop into a creative hub, into a value box of very important ideas and messages. And I believe that today CoccoleBimbi which is founded on the concept of family and which promotes freedom and the expression of all children is a very contemporary project , which is what we need, that is, that fashion and communication, rather than setting limits or trying to create characters, personas, or give rules, abolish or reduce the problem of categorizing children.

If I see a 6 year old living being in a pink dress I think it is already a female. But who established it? Why does this rule already have to be there? Pink also looks good on men or vice versa. If a boy wants to have long hair or nail polish, that's right. Unfortunately I know that it is a very complicated thing to understand, especially for generations previous to ours, but it is normal that a child who identifies as male must be able to be free to wear nail polish, he does not necessarily have to have other motivations behind this act.

It simply has to be that way, he likes to be that way and he shouldn't be judged. The problem is that society has unfortunately created models and in my own small way I try to abolish them with all my projects, my communication, my styling.

Then CoccoleBimbi will certainly be the most important e-commerce in the world in 10 years, it will represent all children around the world both in terms of style, tastes, of lifestyle, of ethnicity, of religion and any other aspect. For me there are no differences, the goal is to create a space that is inclusive for all children, period. In 10 years (but I hope even before) CoccoleBimbi will truly be a point of reference even for those who have never been accepted into our field; I obviously refer to fashion children and therefore clothing etc. I want to normalize everything that is not defined as normal. It will be a point of reference for all children and all parents in the world who believe in change and believe that the line of acceptance and change is the basis of anything that can be transformed into clothing because clothing willy-nilly it is one of the strongest and most important means of communication there is. The moment I choose to wear that skirt or trousers I am sending a very specific message.

Then I would like to have a series of completely sustainable points of sale around the world created with recycled material that can support themselves and where all the collections inside are cruelty free and vegan: so everything inside the purchase, from footwear to clothing, etc. is animal free and obviously sustainable. This is my wish.