Lorraine Betta
IED Milano
Share
22 years old
Milan, Italy
How has your everyday-life changed? What do you do to fulfill your day?
I admit that my everyday life radically changed: not only in what I have to do, but also in who I have to do it with. I have been living in Milan for four years now, but I think I can say that I am cosmopolitan: I don't feel like I belong to some particular places, because one day I am in Palermo where my boyfriend lives, the next day I am at my parents' home in Trentino Alto Adige. I came back to my father and sister right before the lockdown started, I wanted to spend some time with them, but then I have been stuck here. Despite some difficulties due to this unusual co-living, to which I was not used anymore, I am sincerely re-discovering my sense of family and affection that I have been missing.
I have always wanted to run away from my small village in the mountains, especially after my mother passed away, a moment that made me uncomfortable living in my own home. But to have the opportunity to dedicate more time to my sister is very precious. We have always had a strong relationship, despite the distance, but now I have the chance to know her as the little woman she is becoming and I am extremely grateful.
We do what we have always done together, we just have much more time to do it: we chat, tell our secrets, do make-up sessions where we paint each other, we study architecture, when we don't have to take online classes we watch movies, one every night. I am teaching her to appreciate the beauty of Hollywood in the Fourties and Fifties: Judy Garland in Meet me in Saint Louis (Vincente Minnelli, 1944), Audrey Hepburn styled by Hubert de Givenchy in Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954), then Grace Kelly, a goddess in High Society (Charles Walters, 1956). Sometimes, we choose to watch great classics that we have always loved since we were children: Romy Schneider in Sissi (Ernst Marischka, 1955) or Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965). One thing is for sure: I am learning very much from her, especially how to appreciate the little things that we always take for granted.
Your work is built on creativity. While we’re all in quarantine, what is your solution to keep on being creative? Where do you find your inspiration in this moment?
I am finding very hard to be creative and "creator" in this period, because my mood is not at its best and this has serious consequences on my creativity. Many friends are taking chances with home-made projects, and I think that it is a wonderful way to keep on doing what we love, despite we have to change our attitude. I know it is normal, it happened before to me and to my friends, but right now I am not able to shape my thoughts. Still, this doesn't mean that this is not the right time to do research and learn new things, find new inspirations that I will use in the future.
It is obvious that social medias give us an immediate access to a huge number of informations, but they are often too superficial. Each one of us has their own methods, and I have always been more related to traditional learning systems. Still, I decided to keep on learning how I like to, giving more time to my habits.
I have always been one of the greatets Hitchcock lovers, and now my passion as only growth. Beside his masterpiece Birds (1963), I love Marnie (1964), the story of a cold-hearted thief with a tragic past behind her back, both starring the stunning Tippi Hedren.
Finally, one of my greatest source of inspiration has always been to read: in the past weeks, I read Das Parfum - Die Geschichte eines Mörders (1985) by Patrick Süskind, one of my favorite novels, but I also kept studying and I read the Carmel Snow's biography A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life In Fashion, Art, and Letters (2005) by Penelope Rowlands and D.V. (1984), Diana Vreeland's autobiography, who are both great icons of the fashion world.
What is your biggest fear right now?
It is weird, because I have never been afraid to talk about my fears, I find it actually liberating, as it means to give a shape to the fear itself and it helps to manage them in a more conscious way. So I can say that my biggest fear is the same fear that I have been having since forever: to loose the people that I love. I am lucky for not being alone in such a dramatic moment, and that helps me to be positive; still, I am constantly thinking about my boyfriend and my best friend, who is living this lockdown in Milan, all by herself. I still don't know when I will be able to see them again, but I try my best to stay calm and just wait. I am aware that I have by my side people that are smart and responsible, so we just have to be strong until the moment comes when we will see each other again.
What will you do once all of this is over?
I am thinking about how this crisis will affect our future, but my past taught me how much it is important to appreciate our present. I usually love to schedule my future, I am much of a schedule-kind-of-girl, it helps me to stay calm; still, I am aware that we can't know what will happen next, so it is useless to try to control everything. We just can't. For now, I rather focus on the present and treasure it.
Live the moment: it is the most precious thing we have.