Style Secrets is a series where we interview members of the fashion world to find out the secrets behind their designs and international success. This month we spoke with Chiara Maria Sassu of the popular blog Chiara's Coffee Table.
What brought you to China?
My husband’s job. At first I wasn’t sure I would fit in but Beijing stole my heart. I consider it my home now: I have been working, dreaming and having fun here for the last five years and totally love it – I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.
How did your blog Chiara’s Coffee Table come about?
The blog was a project I’d had in mind for many years – I always dream of creating new ways to share my feelings and passions. I started it one year ago after I found the courage to leave a job I wasn’t happy in. I’ll never regret that decision.
How do you choose what to feature on it?
The only requirement to be featured on Chiara’s Coffee Table is that it needs to inspire. If you browse through the website, you will find stories of people who have decided to follow their heart, pictures of amazing places and artists, references and mood boards. Each post is different but always an amazing source of inspiration for me and my readers.
When you aren’t blogging you are…
Doing sports (aerobics, yoga and Pilates are my favorites), eating (I drool just from thinking about pizza, Indian food and sushi) and reading: I can’t imagine my life without books – they are a big source of motivation for my work.
China fashion scene. Discuss.
When I left Italy for Beijing back in 2010, I was expecting to find a mammoth city bridled in a post-Communist era. Instead, I found a dynamic environment with an avant-garde vibe and a stereotype-defying sparkle – especially when it comes to fashion. You can see the playfulness of Beijing’s streets through locals, foreigners, moms and dads, businessmen and students alike. Loud colors are all over the map, often mixed up with rowdy geometric patterns. It’s all about the flashy T-shirts, gaudy trainers, leopard-skin jogging pants, mirrored glasses, loud hair and bright smiles.
How has Beijing influenced your style?
I came to Beijing as an architect and the city put a creative spell on me. Since living here I’ve become more free and daring. I feel the urge to completely be myself without compromising, to surf my wave and contribute in making an already vibrant environment more and more sparkling every day. This means I’m not afraid to mix and match fast fashion items with niche pieces from up-and-coming international designers. I love when my outfit tells about my story, my trips, my experiences.
Latest fashion purchase?
A Celine bag. I’d been dreaming about it for months. It’s classy but, at the same time, extremely easy to wear. It goes perfectly with jeans and sneakers or with a dress and high heels. It’s big enough to carry my MacBook and even running shoes if necessary. Plus, it’s an iconic piece – there are never enough of them in a woman’s wardrobe!
Where do you shop in town?
I try to avoid shopping malls and focus on discovering local ateliers or concept boutiques instead. I love to wander around Fangjia Hutong, Nanluoguxiang and 798. Also, I like to check out BNC in Taikoo Li North or S.T.A.R.S. in Dianmen Waidajie from time-to-time, to find out about new designers and jewelers from China and beyond.
What’s in your bag right now?
A big purse, sunglasses, a semi-professional camera, a pen and a pink Moleskine, L’Occitane hand cream, lipstick, my apartment keys and a cashmere hat.
Tell us one thing you couldn’t live without.
My white and old-fashioned iPhone.
Fashion is…
A way to express myself.
// Visit Chiara's Coffee Table at www.chiarascoffeetable.com. For more Style Secrets, click here.
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