MILAN–Limbs of forgotten dolls, frozen-in-time watches, aged photos of the dearly departed and discarded swathes of lace, are precious gems to Tupi Tupi’s Gaia Petrizzi, whose affinity for the past is mirrored in her designs as much as it is evident in her own fashion sense. Working between Milan and the coastal town of Salerno, Petrizzi makes hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind items with bits and baubles she finds at antique markets.
She grew up in Montoro, a small town near Naples, where the southern Italian tradition of parading saints through town, amid fumes of incense and the chants of religious canticles, was commonplace. The divine and a sense of realism is all intertwined into her pieces. In addition to the religious element, her style demonstrates an attachment to the dead but not forgotten. A testament to that is her jewelry atelier, which doubles as a hospital for unwanted, dismembered dolls, particularly from before the 1950’s.
“I believe in reincarnation. I always had an attraction to the afterlife. I like broken dolls because collectionists love to buy museum-like, perfect pieces and they overlook the ones without hands and arms. I basically have a doll hospital,” Petrizzi said.
Petrizzi discusses her spiritual side with BACO’s Editor-in-Chief Sofia Celeste:
Occupation: Designer, savior of forgotten dolls
Age: 36
Headquarters: Milan-Salerno
Personal Style: I like to combine styles and time periods. I love to research and I love vintage and used clothes. I love those more than new clothes because they have stories behind them. I am very instinctive when it comes to both my creations and in my own style. My atelier is in disarray, and I find that through disorder, I at times find some sense.
Brand Style:
The brand is a little Gothic and a little unsettling.
Always: Vintage clothing, antique watches, vintage shoes, bare feet
Never: Tennis shoes
–Sofia Celeste
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WHO: Gaia Petrizzi of Tupi Tupi
WHERE TO BUY: www.tupi-tupi.it, gaia@tupi-tupi.it
PRICE: EUR120 to EUR1500
