«I am living a dream, and I don’t want to wake up»

Interview with Frederic Saint-Parck

There’s always something solemn about the aura surrounding brand designers, like they’re untouchable figures, distant and unreachable within the fashion system. Maybe it’s just the idea of coming face-to-face with the mind behind a legacy brand, or the quiet intensity of a creative presence that many find almost intimidating. And yet, meeting Frederic Saint-Parck felt more like bumping into an old college friend at a bar, by chance. Fresh off a flight from Paris, he had headed straight to the Miss SIXTY atelier, where he and the team were finalizing the last details ahead of the new flagship opening in San Babila. Maybe it was the shared age, or maybe the rare feeling of stepping into such an “official” space during the chaos of fashion week—but speaking with Saint-Parck didn’t feel like interviewing the artistic director of one of the biggest Italian heritage brands.

At just 22, after working as art director at MOWALOLA for two years, the designer took over artistic direction at Miss SIXTY and led its relaunch with a campaign that quickly went viral, thanks in part to the now-iconic images of Bella Hadid in their jeans. With his usual ease, Saint-Parck described the creative process as a collaborative effort: «There’s a huge team that designs the collection. I’m just one cog in the whole thing. We have a full creative director process, and everyone, from marketing to design, builds the collection together.» His excitement is just as evident when he talks about the campaign’s reception: «The collection is really cool. Even Bella loves it. I saw photos of her wearing a pair of jeans we gave her, and she’s still wearing them. That’s such a huge compliment to the whole team.» What stands out most is how genuine, even a little amazed, he sounds, as if everything that’s happened so far still feels like a lucky accident.

«I’m young, but I consider myself incredibly lucky. I work with really elite people who listen to my ideas and support me every day»

Still, for many, taking the reins of a brand that helped define the Italian fashion landscape of the early 2000s could easily feel like a daunting task. And when you consider that the person doing it was just starting out in their career, the weight of expectation becomes even heavier. But for Frederic Saint-Parck, it was never about fear. From the very beginning, it was the strength of the team around him that made the difference. «I’m young, but I consider myself incredibly lucky. I work with really elite people who listen to my ideas and support me every day,» he says. His approach reflects an awareness of what came before him and a clear intent to build on that legacy with both respect and clarity. «If something works, there’s no reason to change it,» he explains.

His vision of Miss SIXTY doesn’t reject the past; it starts from it. From that Y2K DNA made of low-rise jeans and sensual silhouettes. «We got big during that era, the low-rise jeans, the sexy shapes. And I think that’s something we should always keep doing. Period.» At the same time, the brand’s return to the spotlight hasn’t been driven by nostalgia or forced throwbacks. The early-2000s aesthetic was never a direct starting point for the campaign, even if certain choices, like the color palette or retro-inspired hairstyles, naturally ended up referencing it. What came through instead was something distinctly Gen Z: a sense of freshness that avoids overt nods to icons of the era, keeping the language current without falling into cliché.

Perhaps it also has to do with his longstanding connection to one of the most beloved brands among today’s “cool kids”: the Anglo-Nigerian designer Mowalola’s namesake label. She was the one who gave him one of his first real breaks in the fashion world, appointing him as art director of the brand at just twenty years old. «Mowa is like a big sister to me. I don’t think I’ve ever said it publicly, but there was a time when I was basically homeless, and she took me in. To me, she’s family», he shares with genuine gratitude, recalling how she taught him everything from the ground up. That bond laid the foundation for one of the most formative experiences of Saint-Parck’s early career. Mowalola taught him the fundamentals of design while giving him room to grow, space to experiment with creative direction, and shape a vision of his own: «She taught me almost everything I know. I started out as a designer, then moved into art direction, and she trusted me. I didn’t even have to pitch ideas, we were just always thinking the same thing.»

«I’m living a dream, honestly. The only thing I want is for it not to end. I don’t want to wake up»

His work at Miss SIXTY follows a different rhythm, but one that’s just as creatively rich. The Italian brand allows him to move across disciplines, balancing artistic direction with hands-on design in a way he describes as rare. And precisely because both environments, Mowalola’s intimate, experimental space and Miss SIXTY’s more structured, global platform, have helped him grow, the idea of collaborating with her again is anything but far-fetched. Last September, the two reunited for a capsule collection for Miss SIXTY, a project that, for Saint-Parck, felt almost inevitable: «The collab with Mowalola had to happen. Period. If she calls me, I’m there. And if she wants to do something else with Miss SIXTY, it’ll always be on the table.»

With Frederic Saint-Parck, everything seems to flow naturally. When he talks about himself, his inspirations, or the cities he’s lived in, he does it with a kind of effortless honesty—the kind you’d expect from a casual conversation at a bar. No filters, no calculated messaging. When asked where his inspiration comes from, fashion didn’t even enter the conversation. Instead, he immediately brought up music artists like Playboi Carti and the experimental sounds of Arca. More than aesthetics, what fascinates him is the ability to be ahead of the curve, to create something that at first might feel off or out of place, but over time reveals its relevance. As he put it, «I like things that are ahead of their time—that’s the key word». That instinctive, wide-open approach, somewhere between intuition and curiosity, also defines the way he’s navigating the present. After the launch of Miss SIXTY’s flagship store, he admits he doesn’t have a specific short-term goal. Rather than chasing a new milestone, he’d rather enjoy what he’s already built. «I’m living a dream, honestly. The only thing I want is for it not to end. I don’t want to wake up». There’s no urgency to prove anything—just the desire to keep going, with the same energy.

And maybe it’s that clarity that allows him to read the creative landscape with such a broad perspective, shaped in part by having lived in all four fashion capitals before turning 25. When asked about the big four, Saint-Parck didn’t hesitate to guide the conversation, offering his take on each city’s unique energy. London, he said, remains the true playground for young creatives, «where you go out, work, mess up, and try again together». Paris, on the other hand, represents structure and industry—more formal, sometimes distant, but ultimately essential. New York is stimulating, yes, but more commercial and street-oriented. Milan, with all its precision and codes, is increasingly becoming a fertile ground for those looking for space to create. In this constant movement between geographies, codes, and generations, Saint-Parck doesn’t seem interested in choosing just one path. He prefers to live in the in-between—to shift between influences, hold contradictions, and find balance somewhere between what is and what could be.

Photographer Vincent Migliore
MUAH Carolina Antonini
Interview Manuela Irena D’Orso