Filippo Montanini

The story behind my graduate collection is about the freedom I feel in Riccione. Riccione is my safe place in the world—where I feel more at home than in my hometown. And as I feel lighter, my more intimate parts come out. In this collection, I explore my feminine side, Filippa, which plays a huge part in my life and comes out best when I’m in Riccione. What inspired me is my experience growing up there, spending every summer by the sea. Feeling fluid like the water helps me embrace my sexier parts. Experiencing the first love of my life there helped me build the idea of Riccione as a place where I feel freer and more fluid in both my sexuality and gender identity. In my mind, I translated that into a sailor love story—since I’ve always loved everything sea-related, I imagined myself as a sailor in love with another sailor, just having fun next to the sea in a saltwater-scented place. This feeling of freedom continues into the disco world, which—growing up in Riccione—I’ve always seen as the ultimate place to enjoy life and be in touch with my inner self. Filippa comes out best when I’m dancing, as she has since I was a kid.