Monday, July 30, 2007

Get To Know: Francesca Vitali of Frucci Design

Here’s some great info on a fabulous artist from the Trunkt community.

Name: Francesca Vitali

TRUNKT URL: www.trunkt.org/fruccidesign

Business Name: Frucci Design

Where are you located?
Southern California

What is it that you design and create?
Paper jewelry

What is your favorite part of the design process?
My favorite part is the open-eyed dream: it starts when an idea materializes in my head and I have to imagine how I can make it happen. At the point I can’t do anything else: I just think of my new idea, that’s so exciting…well at least for me, because from outside, if you look at me while doing that I most probably look like I’m only open-eyed sleeping!

How did you come up with your business name?
Frucci is one of the gazillion ways Rudi, my boyfriend, calls me. One day I was just scribbling a self-portrait when I fitted FRUCCI into my hair style, then I added DESIGN in place of one eye and the nose and that became my logo!

Where/How did this all begin?
I can’t describe the starting point for my design/craft passion, I’ve been creative all my life, that’s who I am! But I can tell you the exact moment I discovered that paper is a great media for jewelry and the all paper jewelry idea has began: It was almost ten years ago, I was in my mom’s kitchen when I came accross a colorful fashion catalog. I had to find a way to use all that color and for some reason I started cutting it in strips and a few hours later I made my first paper necklace, which I still wear!

Who or what inspires you?
Borrowing from a “Shakespeare in Love” quote: “I don’t know. It’s a mystery!”

What advice would you give other independent artists who are just starting out?
Don’t waste your time following others’ dream (as I did): listen to your soul and give your art a chance!

What’s on your iPod/music player right now?
Shame on me, I don’t have an iPod. I prefer to listen to radio.

What t.v. shows are you currently hooked on?
CSI, Shark, I’m waiting for Closer’s new season and The Tudor. But I also love to watch reruns of the classics like Friends, Sex and the City, Will and Grace or even older such as Murder She Wrote!

What was the last movie you watched?
‘V for Vendetta’. But don’t ask me how I liked it…I fell asleep!

What’s your favorite food?
Pizza, chocolate and gelato

What’s your favorite candy?
Any that has cinnamon in it!

Coffee or Tea?
Coffee…Actually espresso…I’m Italian!

What store could you walk around in for hours and be happy?
ZARA and H&M, for historic reasons: I used to go there with my girlfriends when I was still living in Italy, so whenever I miss them - they all live in Italy - I just go to ZARA or H&M and I’m happy again!
Any Pets?
Not yet, but soon a dog! A pug!

Favorite place to visit or place you’d like to visit?
Favorite place to visit: Rome, my city!
Place I’d like to visit: Japan, Mexico, Brazil, India just to mention a few…I love traveling so much!

If you could be a superhero, what would your name be and what would be your superpowers?
My name, of course, would be SuperFru and I’d be able to go everywhere in a blink of an eye and I could become invisible.

Any celebrity crushes?
Not really.

Favorite Holiday?
I must say Xmas!

If you were a shoe, what shoe would you be?
Noooo! Don’t ask me to choose one pair of shoe: I simply can’t! I rather be the shoe closet of Sarah Jessica Parker!-)

What do you secretly wish you could do/be?
Well before coming here in the US, I secretly wished to be an artist. Now I still wish it, but it is not a secret anymore!

Favorite piece of clothing?
If I have to pick just one I have to admit that when I’m in front of a black pair of trousers I simply have to have them!

Do you speak any other languages? If not, would you like to learn one?
Yes, Italian of course! and German too, since I’ve lived in Switzerland for 5 years I’ve learned a bit of German…but just a little!

We’re half way through the year! Any exciting plans for the rest of the year?
Oh yes! The whole summer will be full of guests, since we’ve moved in California we have been receiving tons of guests from Italy, especially during summer! And by the end of the year we will probably be moving again, but don’t ask me where we don’t know yet!

Thanks so much, Francesca. Here are a couple of her amazing jewelry pieces:

Girasole Pendant; Curly Ring; Cubetto Earrings: