Mariacarla Boscono: “Being a designer, photographer and model was liberating”

Top model known all over the world, but also actress and chameleon figure, Mariacarla Boscono is a woman who has experienced first-hand, in life as in career, what it really means to be multifaceted: an attitude that the Italian model had the opportunity to express for the first time not only as a testimonial, but also as a designer, photographer and art director, in a capsule collection for K-Way.
The collection she signed contains the essence of the brand, made of dynamism and freedom, and joins the will and the “luxury” of being able to reconnect with nature, through the unique perspective of artist and mother.

Muse of the greatest designers and photographers, the supermodel spent the first years of her life getting to know and living in depth different cultures thanks to her family, who transmitted her passion for travel and different forms of art, as well as for nature: the design of his collection for K-Way tells these roots through the symbolism of the island, which for the supermodel represents motherhood, peace and moments easy to savor, immortalized in a series of shots with the versatile and sporty garments designed for the brand, including exclusive floral prints and graphic details. On the occasion of the launch of the collection on 10 June, we spoke with Mariacarla Boscono about eclecticism, nature, relationships and, of course, fashion.

Eclecticism is the common thread that has accompanied her from childhood to today, in infinite forms. When did you realize it would be your winning weapon?
«Yes, I recognize myself in this description… thank you for making me reflect on this point. Eclecticism is definitely a component that has been part of my life from an early age thanks above all to my wonderful family that has allowed me to live several lives, to express myself in many ways, to know languages ​​and cultures, to savor “smells and different flavors ”following the numerous journeys undertaken both for their work and for passion. You see, this condition has not always been helpful: when I returned to Italy as a young girl and attended a school in the provinces, the other children were not ready to understand my “diversity”, having lived in so many different places and cultures. It is known that children (and others) when they do not understand something can be ruthless and offensive. A void was created around me in those years, I was alone, but this allowed me to transform: it is after this period that I gradually became an increasingly curious person, with a strong character and a great desire for independence. Qualities that have also become key elements in the course of my career in fashion ».

In her collection for K-Way she expresses her multifaceted spirit to the maximum power: what was it like to work behind the scenes, as a designer, art director and photographer, and at the same time embody the campaign?
«Engaging in the role of designer, photographer and model for this project was extremely liberating because I felt that I could express my energy. I came out of my role as a model and it was enlightening to enter the perspective of a designer who must start from the right inspiration and gradually give shape, choice after choice, to the entire project. Just as it is essential for a photographer to choose the muse who expresses the creative idea he has in mind. It is a very intense, profound and difficult process such as finding the right interpreter who expresses what you feel. It was very liberating, I have to be honest, and I did it in the only way I thought I could. I don’t feel like a designer or a photographer, but being able to express myself at 360 degrees in this collaboration with K-Way has helped me a lot in filling some insecurities related to the expectations that the role of designer, art director and photographer inevitably entails “.

If you had to choose just one inspiration behind this collection, what would it be and how would you tell it?
“A word comes to mind: ‘Raw’. For me it expresses the connection between life and nature in the simplest and crudest sense. Nature and life are the main inspirations of the whole project, from the collection to the photos to the location chosen to make the shots ».

The three watchwords of the collection are relationships, moments and nature: right now, how would you describe each of these three words in your life??
“I would say that relationships are made up of moments and nature is a very important dimension that allows this union to work”.

In the campaign for K-Way it also evokes the strong symbolism of motherhood: how has this existential experience changed it?
«I respect all the forms of motherhood (and paternity) that are chosen today. Personally becoming a mother has changed me deeply and I feel grateful to be inspired every day by my daughter Marialucas and to look at the world through the eyes of a child. It excites me a lot to say it and it was the most incredible and strongest change of my life ».

Another key element is nature: how has your relationship with it evolved over the years and, today, what is your link with this dimension?
«Nature has always been an integral part of my life. I lived from nine to fourteen years in Kenya in a small village called Kilifi and Africa gives you what I call the very essence of Mother Nature. I have always respected, appreciated and protected nature and above all I have always felt the deep bond that exists between human beings and the environment that surrounds them. It is essential for me
especially in this historical moment in which we are increasingly contaminated by technology. I try and want to live a life in constant contact with nature if possible ».

Over the course of your career, what have been the times when you have felt absolutely free and more in line with your human and artistic self?
«For me it has always been a priority to remain faithful to my artistic vein, to my ‘artistic self’. If not, I wouldn’t be here after 25/26 years in this sector… I don’t even know how many there are anymore, but there are many. But they are not too many either, because I am always looking for passion for what I do. I have always kept the level of my work and the energy connected to it high. Waking up in the morning and being extremely happy and satisfied with what you do is essential. If I haven’t been, I’ve left, I’ve taken small breaks over the years but basically I’ve always had a lot of fun in my work. I have changed my hair color countless times, I have followed fashions or have not followed them at all, I have revolutionized standards, I have never compromised and I have never been interested in working just to gain status. I have always worked with my heart ».