RED CARPET MASTERPIECES TAKE SHAPE IN HER ATELIER: “WITHOUT US, THE MAGIC WON’T HAPPEN”
You create haute couture dresses for major fashion houses. How did you get started?
From a young age, I knew it was my path. My mother, from Turin,
my greatest ambition was to become secretary to a senior Fiat executive.
I rebelled. I started at the Gruppo Finanziario Tessile, which managed the licenses
for the second lines of major brands.
Then I worked as a pattern maker for Valentino’s ready-to-wear line and, in Milan, for Emanuel Ungaro.
And then what happened?
I’m ambitious. After several high-level experiences, in 2004
I took over a small production workshop with seven people.
In five years, I bought a plot of land and built the headquarters, transferring
everything I’d learned there. Today, about 40 professionals work
at Dorafalù: a female universe that handles everything, from models to prototypes
to the production of haute couture and ready-to-wear garments.
What exactly does Dorafalù do?
We work behind the scenes of fashion; we are an invisible but crucial supply chain.
If a designer brings us a design, our job is to make it concrete and add value.
Alongside the brands, there is a planning team made up of seamstresses, pattern makers,
and technicians: without us, the magic can’t take place.
What worries you?
I’ve seen brands rise and fall: it’s cyclical and no longer scares me.
I’m struck by the lack of recognition for professionalism, especially when
you’re not a well-known brand. But the name on the door means little if you don’t leave a
concrete mark. I explain to young people that it’s not enough to say “I work for X.”
Build your professionalism and credibility: they will stay with you throughout your life.
Diana de Marsanich
