His destiny was set: an European exchange led him to study at Westminster University in London and then to work with one of the most creative and charismatic designers of this decade, Alexander McQueen.

His talent for making patterns and coupling pieces, for employing fabrics and for the architectural construction of each and every one of his garments manifests itself in a holistic vision which he refers to as "organic." He conceives of fashion as a union of elements that,when brought together, take on meaning and result in the perfect garment. It is no surprise that he is great admirer of designers such as Balenciaga and Madame Vionnet.

The architectural ideation of his garments and the perfect finishes, the feminine look and, more than anything, the uncommon way in which his designs fall over the figure have resulted in his work appearing in the world's top fashion magazines, all of this without losing even a sliver of the spontaneity that characterized his early work while remaining firmly grounded in the city of his birth.

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by the natural world, the couture tradition, working with fabric and materials, the geometries of patternmaking, and—perhaps most importantly—the body and the fitting process.

What is your dream as a designer?

My goals are to continue evolving my craft, to grow organically and with credibility, to maintain control, to continue to collaborate with other artists and designers, and to expand my product lines. I can't wait to do menswear, for selfish reasons.

What has been the most important achievement of your career?

The most important achievement in my career has yet to happen.

How important are trends?

Obviously, from a commercial perspective, trends are important, much more important than specific trendy things, which formally don't matter at all. What does matter is their trendiness. From a conceptual standpoint, which could itself be described as a trendy one, trends are reductive and banal and, therefore, necessary in reaching a majority. Being more interested in the form and in the creative process, as well as tight distribution and the development of a consistent signature, I find that trends have only a small bearing on my work.

Fashion has always reflected a certain era. What does fashion reflect in the twenty-first century?

Fashion is a product of the late nineteenth and the twentieth century. It didn't exist before then, at least not in the state that we know it today. This is not the case with fashionableness, which has existed throughout history, or at least for as long as humans have been interested in status and the creation and maintenance of social hierarchies.

Twenty-first century fashion reflects the state of advanced capitalism that produces it, and it is not limited to clothing and luxury goods. All production is subject to, and yet depends on, the whims of fashion. This includes paintings, music, film, buildings, fast food, whole technologies, even ideas. Fashion drives everything that can be consumed.

What book would you recommend to every fashion designer?

The Arcades Project, by Walter Benjamin, as well as Conspicuous Consumption, by Thorstein Veblen.