I was raised in a religious family in Buenos Aires. Every Sunday I would go to church with my grandmother. This photo (under the middle) was taken in my first communion, in 1982. I had never worn a draw before; I think I had velvet pants. Even at the age of 10 I was stubborn about how my family dressed and said things like: “Maybe you should wear that with a jacket.” I also paid attention to what the images wore, the textures of their clothing and the expressions on their faces. That is where my fascination for religious iconography came from. I have in my apartment in Paris A collection of pieces that belonged to churches (below bottom left). I found this one [relics] In the basement of a small store in Puglia, Italy, and was like: “Ok, I need this.” I love the mystery of things that have had a life for me.
This is The dining room in my apartment (at the top right). The brutalist table of the 70s is by the American designer Paul Evans. The mirrored light on the ceiling is through [the Italian designer] Gaetano Sciolari, also from the 1970s. I found the letters “R” and “Y” on a flea market in Paris. They were part of a set that spelled ‘harmony’, but that was too long – and the name of my partner is Ryan [Benacer, a stylist and fashion archivist]. In my living room I have a collection of mannequins that I dress with the latest finds for our [clothing] archive. Ryan and I like to turn off three to four at the same time, so that when we have breakfast, I can watch a Martin Margiela next to me. This is A Comme des Garçons look (top left) from the spring 2023; I like how [the designer Rei Kawakubo] Combines fashion and art without fear.
As a teenager I was a goth. I loved the remedy, and then I got obsessed with [the Australian dark-wave band] Dead Can Dance (above). When I first started thinking about a career, fashion felt strange to a man and I still discovered my sexuality. I studied architecture at the University of Buenos Aires. However, when I turned 21, I went to London, where my passion for clothing had really solidified. I worked as a bartender and saved money in a sock for four years and finally registered with Central Saint Martins. This is A look from my graduation collection from 2002 (above the middle)It was inspired by Traditional Gaucho clothing (top left). My grandmother had many ponchos in which I was interested; I tried to bring in as much craft as possible, to do it as the indigenous Argentines would have done. That year I won the prize for the best ready-made collection and was offered a place in the master’s program. But then Phoebe Philo, who had just taken over at Chloé, called me to be her right hand for design, and I moved to Paris for the track.
Starting at Moschino was as a jump in a pool of cold water. When I was approached in December 2023, they were: “Can you start tomorrow?” But I had already planned a holiday in Argentina. I said: “Maybe spending time in the Moschino archive can be enough of a trigger for me to do it. Let’s go there tomorrow so that I can give you a short one, and when I come back in January, let’s see how it goes.” [Making this collection for fall 2024] I felt very spontaneous and I was super happy with it. This dress (above the middle) [incorporates] a work of art of [the brand’s founder] Franco [Moschino] (top left). What I learn at Moschino is that I can reproduce every object as an accessory. I wanted the model that opened the show as a woman doing things, such as going to the market for fresh vegetables and bread, so we made three items: a handbag made of a fiber that looks like paper, a baguette bag and This celery bag (at the top).
This interview has been edited and condensed.
