Imagine being the Number One person in the world, for something? Typically, you first think of a sports person; the fastest runner, or swimmer, in the world. Well, how about the Number One interior designer in the world; now that’s someone I want to meet!
Before departing on a recent trip to Hong Kong, my aunt gave me an article from Hello magazine about Montreal-born, Hong Kong-based, fashion designer, Marie France Van Damme. I instantly became fascinated by Marie France’s story and soon found myself at her super stylish, Kowloon atelier!
She started playing the piano at the age of two and a half and as a child dreamed of becoming a famous concert pianist, until a series of interesting career opportunities lead her to discover her incredible ability for music composition.
When a friend of mine who is Deputy Editor of a prestigious Australian magazine, told me she managed to line-up an interview with the chef from the No. 1 restaurant on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, I politely begged her if I could tag along too.
Twenty-five years ago, I was a young drama graduate attending a Shakespeare summer school at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. After school on the first day, I went to a local pub with a bunch of other international students and there I met fellow classmate, Marco Quaglia.
Let’s be honest, at some stage we’ve all day dreamed (even for a moment) of becoming a princess, right? When the opportunity came up to meet two Italian princesses, I could hardly say no – let’s face it, this is probably the closest insight to royalty I’ll ever have.
Driving around Dubai recently, I was fascinated by how the city’s planning was resulting in very distinct commercial areas such as the Dubai Design District (D3), Business Bay, and the Dubai Gold and Diamond Park. It is in this latter commercial hub where I meet Australian jewellery designer, Gillian Dowland, in her showroom.
When confirmation came through for me to interview fashion designer Kevan Hall in Rome, my first thought was “amazing”, closely followed by a panicked “but what can I wear”?
Gabriella Loria is a global citizen. Born in Australia to Italian parents, Gabriella travels the world continuously for her work as a costume designer for films. It is her passion for travel, and the experiences that result, that inspires her creativity in both life and work.
