I've been talking about it a lot * the week when Mercury was supposed to chill
A string of opinionated random thoughts.
Love
HALLELUJAH moment
: PRADA Group bought Versace from the Capri Holding conglomerate for many reasons, and it’s not because I hope that Versace will become less rachet. Versace is Versace and will have to remain such, there won’t be no Pradace nor Versada. PRADA Group owned Jil Sander at one point, they own Church’s, and they haven’t altered the image of the brands, they haven’t appropriated the creative direction, and they haven’t colonized the luxury fashion sphere like the two French broligarchs. What I see is that PRADA Group’s 2024 net revenue was up by 15% when Kering and LVMH posted a profit decline of 12% and 16% in 2024. What I also see is two badass businesswomen who happen to be both Italian who have emerged in the Fashion world in the 1990s and are still riding the wave.
Let’s talk white lace hosiery:
Alessandro Michele made them mainstream at Gucci and now at Valentino, it’s a fact and they are outrageously expensive. However, yours truly has always had white lace collants since I can remember. I wouldn’t use them to go to school, but I remember them being on rotation, especially during the Christmas holidays, with the kilt, the Shetland cardigan, a white lace collar, penny loafers and my glorious Loden cape. Let’s consider this a The Cheat Sheet of Italian Style anecdote. Perfect item for a rabbit hole vintage search on Poshmark because you don’t need Amazon or Urban Outfitters, embrace the search, take your time, just avoid sameness and planned obsolescence. #luxuryisastateofmind



A mental break moment *UPDATE*:
I did my first #noscrolltuesday and it’s a win-win situation. I have some food for thought:A) I attempt to reach the IG app more times than I do a glass of water (un-fucking-healthy);
B) the richness of my IG network is in my DMs;
C) my contribution, thoughts, and conversation are better appreciated and more satisfying on Substack. It’s almost as if my Notes here were what DMs are on IG.
The White Lotus
: we cannot stop talking about the finale of Season 3, and we will not. The entire series only makes sense with the finale, with the reversal of Piper’s character or the Rick + Chelsea love story. Expect “the coconut milk is off” in a LL Bean tote near you.
I don’t care
For those AI-generated starter kits. Child, we are passed starter kits, we need emergency survival kits.
For a flat tire (who would?) and the consequent racist individual who first refused to fix one, then tried to stifle me into buying four new tires for “THAT European car” and when I told him that I wanted him to simply replace the two basic tires I had because they have been just fine, he proceeded to say “I don’t care because you are the one that will get stranded with another flat tire.” Dear misogynist white dude, if I were a man, you wouldn’t have dared talk to me like that.


The sustainability debrief
Today is BRAGGING RIGHTS AF: I was quoted in a Miami Herald’s cover story on Sneaker Impact the enterprise that specializes in reverse logistics, contributes to social and economic impact with recycling, repair, and reuse, and provides end-of-life circular material innovation, all under one roof in Miami. I spoke with climate change reporter Ashley Miznazi about my collaboration with Moe, the founder and CEO of Sneaker Impact. When I was faculty at the Miami International University of Art & Design, my students’ final was a zero-waste project, they would have to design or style a collection based on garments and/or accessories they’d find during our visit to the headquarters in Miami’s Little River.
In such a full mega-ego trip that I am even going to quote myself!!
The problem is huge and wicked, at this point there’s no one solution,” Belluomini said. “I’m not saying that the action of one person, or the action of one individual or brand or enterprise, is not working. Actually, it starts from one person or one Moe, and I have never seen somebody dedicating so much money, time and effort into solving a problem.”
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/climate-change/article302845294.html#storylink=cpy
How do you say it in Italian?
Today is Palm Sunday, a week from Easter in the Catholic Church. Although called Palm Sunday, in Italy, we go to mass and receive blessed olive branches that will accompany us all year. My grandmother Titti would always mail me to Miami a few leaves to keep as protection in my wallet (consider this another unedited The Cheat Sheet of Italian Style anecdote). In Miami, I see intricately braided palm leaves being blessed. That’s probably literally more of a palm type of Sunday, but they are for sale in the church before the ceremony. And here’s the question: why does anything that happens in church in the US always involve a monetary exchange?
For all my new followers and anyone who wants to chat, feel free to check out my style diary, the book I wrote and published, and my posts on Instagram.
Chicca, amica mia, but do we really have to keep talking about it? I watched the finale and okay, yes — it does tie everything together and gives some meaning to all the previous episodes... but honestly? I found those kind of slow and stretched out (just my modesttttt opinion).
And really, do we still need to say "anche i ricchi piangono" (even the rich cry)? I don't know, I’m just not feeling all this WOW, all this amore. I’m not seeing it. Am I closed off? Narrow-minded? Who knows. But hey, at least now we can put “the coconut milk is off” on an LL Bean tote and call it a vibe. Un abbraccio gigante!
So true. Moneychangers in the temple. Ok, I'm off to no-scroll Tuesday. See you Wednesday.