Spadafora

Marina Spadafora(1959). Italian designer born in Bolzano. Avantgarde by vocation and with knitwear as the family tradition, she chose a New Age philosophy of life. As the creative spirit of the family wool mill, she studied at the Fashion Institute of Los Angeles and worked as a costume designer in Hollywood, where she met her first husband Sean Ferrer, son of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the actor/director Mel Ferrer. After the Hollywood experience, she returned to Italy and made her debut in Milan in 1987 with her first collection of knitwear. She soon moved on to full ready-to-wear outfits and a menswear line. Her fashion is the result of research into stylized forms and materials which experiment with new techniques to create a personal and non-traditional style. Both spiritual and with an eye on the future, her fashion shows reflect her personal understanding of life: in 1993 she invited the Lama Gangchen Rinpoche onto the runway; in 1994, ignoring differences between the sexes, she dressed young girls and effeminate men in very feminine clothes; in 1998, eschewing the excessive nature of fashion shows, she presented just 16 models referring to the four seasons for women. Her second marriage, involving a Buddhist ceremony in Tibet, was to the director and producer Jordan Stone. They have three children. In her free time she teaches meditation at the Università della Terza Età in Milan.
2001. Savignano sul Rubicone was the location for Angels and Demons, a group exhibition in which the designer showed her creations alongside Denis Curti.
2001, September. A New Age feel for the Spring-Summer 2001 Milan fashion show. Live soundtrack by Rino Capitanata, who is not only a composer, but also the managing director of the company. After 11 September, the designer originally wanted silence. However, instead of the usual disco tracks, she chose live music which is both serene and solemn, out of respect for the victims of the tragedy. A zen bell announced the end of the fashion show.