Have you ever felt the call of a city other than the one you were born and raised in? Maybe a city far away, one you've never even been to, but one that calls to you from deep in your gut, one that you feel you need to visit and get to know, a city where you can chase the life you've always wanted.

This is what happened to Greta, a young woman from Padua, Italy, with a great passion for New York and fashion. Before the pandemic, in her early 30s, Greta decided to redesign her life and fly to the other side of the world, completely on her own, starting from scratch with a lot of sweat and effort. In Italy, Greta built a loyal community of women to whom she gave and continues to give, style advice, helping them enhance their femininity, and talking about empowerment.

Hi Greta, thank you for being here to answer a few questions for Fashion On The Beat. We really appreciate your genuine and immediate way of talking to young women who are looking for fashion as a way to express themselves and make their way in the world. Tell me, what is fashion for you, and how does this passion come about? What inspires you?

Since I was a child I’ve been playing a lot with fashion and clothes. I remember that I’ve always “felt” my outfits, before even trying them on. To me, fashion and clothing have always been a way to communicate to others a mood or a feeling. It’s like introducing yourself to the world without having to say a thing. Fashion is such a powerful language. Clothing is not only about what you wear, but it’s strongly related to who you are and who you want to be.

When I got my degree in psychology I began to dive deep into this connection between psychology and fashion. Research has shown that what you wear can affect the perception you have about yourself and the way you think, as well as the way you act and behave. Fashion can boost self-confidence and send a subliminal message to others telling who you are, how you feel, and how you want to be seen. It’s like expressing a statement about your identity. I’ve always dressed according to my mood, to me creating an outfit is a therapeutic act, it affects not only how others perceive me, but how I perceive myself too. I am a very creative person, I mainly find inspiration in everything that surrounds me. It can be art, as well as a sunset, a picture, people on the street, etc. Everything is constantly influencing me and the way I feel and, as a result, the way I dress. New York has certainly played a key role: it’s my favorite never ending runway show.

You are a very determined girl and your great love for New York has allowed you to realize one of your biggest dreams: moving to the Big Apple, how has this adventure been? And what does it all represent for you? I know it hasn't been an easy journey, especially because you had to rebuild yourself in a post-pandemic period and at a not-so-easy time in your life.

I fell in love with New York at the exact moment when the plane landed at JFK, in 2015. I know it sounds crazy, but I felt so clearly that the energy of this city was all that I have been needing for a long time and that I had a strong connection with the Big Apple. It was not rational, it was love at first sight. I like to think that I was meant to move to NYC since a lot of things happened quickly and I got my visa. New York to me is freedom, energy, and light, it’s the place where I feel 100% myself. It’s so hard for me to describe what NYC means to me, it’s such a mix of feelings, emotions, and vibes that can only be felt. As you mentioned, I moved to the city after the pandemic. 2021 has been the hardest year of my life, but I will be forever grateful for what it brought to me because I’ve learned a lot, mostly about myself. Moving to NYC has been challenging, I’m not gonna lie about it. Living in NYC is rough and doing it by yourself is not always easy, but - besides the ups and downs - it has been the most beautiful adventure of my life so far.

You managed on your own strength to make your way in the New York fashion world. Tell us a little bit about how it went and what it's like to collaborate with fashion brands overseas.

Before moving to NYC I worked hard for 3 or 4 years, to build connections with brands, PR agencies, and other influencers. I used to come to NY to attend the NYFW during those years and I did my best to introduce myself and get in touch with people in the fashion industry. This was the key. Networking is so important in this city and it can help you a lot. Working with fashion brands overseas is amazing, I truly love it. There are a lot of events, presentations, and parties, and I always enjoy discovering new designers. Fashion in New York is so eclectic, creative, and unique, it’s so inspiring. Sometimes I found myself wearing clothes or accessories that are so different from the ones that I would choose in Italy and I think “this is the magic of New York, you can discover a new version of yourself every day”.

Working for both Italy and America, what are the big differences in the fashion world of these two places?

Italy has a great history of fashion designers. Italian style is known all over the world for its elegance, quality, and chic taste. In New York fashion is experimental, it has different cultural roots and the style is a mix of trendy, high-fashion, and effortless pieces. In Italy is not that easy to work in the fashion industry, brands are not always keen on including social media influencers as part of the communication strategy. Things are slowly changing, but - apart from high-end brands - the power of social media communication is slightly underestimated. In New York things are different: most brands use social media platforms as an elective way to present collections and collaborate with influencers and digital creators to sponsor their products.

What advice would you give to a young woman with a dream similar to yours to make it?

The best advice I can give is “believe in yourself, listen to your voice and follow what it says”. Don’t overthink, just make a plan and go for it. Have a safe backup plan, but then go. Start now, as soon as you think about something, get to work and do it. New York has taught me that nothing is impossible to achieve if you are willing to work hard and be consistent. Sometimes we get lost in our own minds, thinking about all the things that might go wrong or just could not go as planned, but at the end of the day, everything we do in our life is precious. It doesn’t matter if we succeed or fail, every single step is so important to grow, improve, and become the better version of ourselves. Good luck!

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