what is the best moment of the day?
its sort of like the seasons: either spring or fall, that is either morning or dusk.

what kind of music do you listen to at the moment?
60’s music, but I like all kinds of music..

do you listen to the radio?
yes, because its convenient to listen when I’m driving or walking around my house.

what books do you have on your bedside table?
now there is a book by don giussani, which talks about a new modern religiousness.
today people don’t read novels anymore, they read so-called "philosophy" books, we
are interested in understanding what happens to us and why.

do you read design magazines?
I look at them more than read them.

what about newspapers? where do you get news from?
I watch tv, I watch ‘cnn’, even if I don’t speak english that well, its like getting the news
first. people are curious, they always want to understand first and from the first
trustworthy source. italian newspapers and tv news don’t have these characteristics.
so its important to have a "global" news source.

since you certainly pay attention to women’s fashion,
do you have any preferences?
I am more fascinated by modernity, by someone who communicates something new
through clothing. I think it is true that clothes tell you something about a person, and
about their modernness.

what kind of men’s clothes would you never wear?
I don’t like to go to parties in a tuxedo, it bothers me. I think that when a man needs to
feel at ease, when he is physically comfortable he is also spiritually comfortable.

do you have any pets?
no, I love animals but it seems like making them suffer, the relationship between
people and animals is very complex. if you love animals you become a victim,
because it is as if they were your children.

where do you think of your designs and projects?
I believe that creativity is not solitary, usually I hold meetings in my office. I am not the
type of person who looks for solitude or silence, I like to flip through
newspapers, go to the market, walk in the street and talk to people.

describe your "style" like a good friend of yours would.
I think that fiorucci has taken many things from different cultures and recontextualized
them. this is the secret. I like nostalgia, there is nothing bad about looking back at the
past with fondness, but I also like to think about the future. I want to find a balance,
I don’t want to be stuck to any one style or fanaticism in particular. I like to move
between different things and choose them without prejudice regarding materials or
form. this is our right, nobody has the right to culturally imprison us.

which of your projects has given you the most satisfaction?
creating a new store is exciting for me, different things come together, there is a
creative part and a functional part, structure and ornament...

in your store in milan you see a lot of young people, can you describe
how they have changed over the last ten years?
yes, I think that each decade is a new generation, but there is a continuous change.
even though young people nowadays are thought to be careless and unsensitive,
i believe the opposite is true. they have more time to cultivate their own souls,
their own awareness, these kids study, they all watch tv, they have information
they are much better than us.

today is the opening of your retrospective "the meanings of liberty"
it is finally happening after 30 years of work and I am very pleased: it is a
summary of work I have done without realizing it, a sort of study.

which fashion designers have been important points of reference for you?
gauthier, but also the kids at the schools in london, brussels...

what architect and/or designer do you particularly admire?
alessandro mendini and ettore sottass, I have always thought that there
is an affinity between architecture and fashion.
I don’t use it but I admire it a lot, in the sense that it is the largest global cultural
revolution that will change our lives. all of these brains put together will make a leap
ahead for humanity in all fields.

what are you afraid of in the future?
the future has the means of resolving all problems.
you need to fear politicians. politicians, for years, for centuries have kept people apart.
they have divided them, they have turned one against another. famished countries are
at war with each other, they have terrible leaders. people are afraid of not having a
political father but then they suffer because of him. we need to get rid of politicians.