My icon of style: Paloma Picasso

I remember that one particular day in my childhood, I was probably ten year old, when my mother lend me a fashion magazine, and while devouring nice pictures throughout the pages, I was struck by one picture of a strikingly beautiful woman, black-haired and wearing dark red lipstick. And I remember asking my mother ‘who is she, mommy?’

There was something that made me instantly relate to her, even only by looking at her picture.

It turned out to be a picture of Paloma Picasso, daughter of the famous painter Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gillot, also a painter.

Both my parents were also painters, that’s probably why – without explanation – I felt there was something about her that ‘clicked’ when I saw that picture in the magazine. By the way, Daddy’s paintings were also contemporary, and somehow at ten years old I was already familiar with the word ‘Picasso’.

Years passed. And one day I recognized the elegance that once struck me, through pictures illustrating an article about Pablo Picasso. I became nostalgic about my late Dad, about those days in his studio playing colors, or even those times I was still very small sitting in my Dad’s class, drawing my own art while Dad was teaching – when my parents couldn’t find someone to babysit me. But at the same time I re-discovered my style icon who is Paloma. I really really really L.O.V.E. her style. At least, looking in the mirror, I realized I’m also very fond of red lipstick ;-) And looking back, my childhood as a daughter of two painters did have a huge influence and made me refuse to give up my designing life even though I already have a day job I’m equally passionate about.

What about you, dear reader, who is your style icon and does your childhood play a big role in how you choose to live your life now?

- me with mom on first day to school - with dad on the boat to Bali -