The iron gates of Villa Tivoli lazily open to let us in and we slowly drive past a gravel path lined with lemon trees – an Italian house staple. I step out and ram into Gunner the IIIrd, Frida’s excitable, overly curious and surprisingly huggable German Shepherd. We pass the foyer and into the dining area, where chilled cans of diet coke and sinful chocolate cookies await us. I fidget and wander, admiring the intelligent mix of traditional and modern influences; antique paintings and vinyl records alongside gleaming black lacquer and stark crystal. I enviously glance through the impressive line-up of hardbound books on Gustav Klimt, Cartier, Frida Kahlo, Valentino, Chanel, Tiffany, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I am wondering about an interesting array of coral printed napkins, coral paintings and coral artifacts when Frida walks in, hair and make-up done to perfection, a slim, stylised vision encased in all black with a flash of gold. She admits to an inexplicable fascination for coral although going down under to view the real thing doesn’t appeal, “No scuba diving for me; I am scared of jellyfish. I only swim or sail occasionally.” I peer at the many photographs put up everywhere; Frida and her coolly confident stance with the likes of Madonna, Rihanna, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and then the relaxed, happy pose with her beloved tech-savvy husband on various holidays. She chuckles and offers an anecdote, “He gifted me an iPhone which I love because I think it is the best thing Apple has ever produced design-wise. After some days, I gave it back to him – it was impossible figuring out how to text, email or get onto the internet.” And on this unexpected conspiratorial note, our girlie chat begins...

On present day Gucci “The phase of the hard and aggressive Gucci woman was well done but it was time to move on. I chose to change (the image) from sexual to sensual, but keeping the core elements like quality, luxury, craftsmanship, heritage and the DNA of the brand intact. When you have the opportunity to work with a brand like this, you cannot ignore the roots of the company; digging into the archives is very important. The ‘La Pelle Guccissima’, our printed signature leather was born out of this idea about five years ago. It has performed very well as I hope the new ‘Jackie’ bag for Spring ’09 will too.” The latter follows closely on the heels of winter’s popular boho ‘Babouska’. “I wanted to create something more bourgeois and classic for spring. The old ‘Jackie’ (now called the ‘Bouvier’, after Jackie O’s maiden surname) exists in many different versions in the archives but never in soft, deconstructed leather like this one. I also added a double shoulder strap for more novelty.”

The bohemian flavour comes through with quiet effect in many aspects of many collections. “That is probably a result of my personality and education and the influence of my parents, both of whom are intellectuals; my father is an architect and my mother has been a teacher of art history. I find the 70s’ era iconic – it was an exciting time for musicians, artists and visual arts; a freedom to express ideas existed then.

“I have 15 years experience in accessories but am loving the different worlds of jewellery, ready-to-wear and menswear I have discovered. It’s difficult to say which I love most, each one is like a baby and you cannot have a favourite baby, no?”

Styling and being a style icon “The accessory team is always present in the same room when I am doing the RTW collections. It’s important that all elements flow well. Sometimes, a handbag can complete an outfit even in a show; in real life I do not know a woman who steps out without one. I view this as an important part of mens’ collections too - it’s great when I now see even my father carrying a handbag for his camera, computer, mobile and wallet; something I never saw in all my life so far!

“I don’t refer to myself when designing, but when you work so hard, when you love your job like I love mine, you put parts of yourself and your personality into what you do.” Which is why we probably see covetable short dresses, high-heeled boots and skinny pants at Gucci nowadays. “I didn’t recognize that I was establishing a personal brand with the ‘Frida’ pants I wear so often. I am proud of creating them.”

Besides the above, “I own a lot of leather jackets and shirt dresses which I wear to work. Right now, I am in a plain shift dress with flat ballerinas and I will change into high, high heels before leaving for the office. You cannot feel sensual without high heels and they also give you a dose of confidence when you need to appear tough. I never decide in advance what I am going to wear; that depends on my mood and the weather. When the weather is not so nice, I wear black. Also, when you’re working with so many colours, you don’t want to be conditioned by what you’re wearing. Otherwise, I love gold, which is the colour of Gucci as well now.”

The Private Collection “I have Gucci bags from the last 60 years as well as so many Fendis (having worked there for long). Even if I can’t wear some things now, I want them to stay in the family. My collection of accessories is divided between here and my parents’ home in Rome. When I go back there, I sometimes feel the urge to wear some of my old pieces and my mother will say no; she thinks they are hers now!

“I visit flea markets when I can, especially in Paris where I try to keep Sundays free to go see furniture, accessories and jewellery. My love for vintage watches was born 15 years ago; I bought one with my first salary. I love shoes too and buy anything that catches my eye – Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Roger Vivier, Jimmy Choo. I wear them in my private time over the weekends.”

Home is where the heart is “I will soon be off to London, New York, Munich and Milan. In the next couple of months I will spend one week at home in total. So I really enjoy my time here – making dinner for my friends or enjoying the silence. Maybe just music and conversation with my husband since we don’t get a chance to do that often, apart from the phone. We bought this place two and half years ago because of our baby dog. It feels like we are in the country but still so central. My father and his team moved here for one year to redo the place from scratch. I have had to return cabinets that were too wide to fit against a wall and am still collecting pieces and rearranging things all the time.”

But is the heart back in Rome? “We are building a new house in Rome now.” (Rumours are afloat that Gucci’s design house is moving to Rome come spring which would mean a reunion for Frida and her family.) “I am very close to both my parents and love my father like any daughter does.

“My husband’s family is closer to us distance-wise but I share a different relationship with them; they are not very touchy-feely or physically demonstrative; more reserved and formal. Luckily, my husband is not like that!”

Do we hear a baby wail “My family now sends me postcards asking me to have children. When a friend of mine got divorced sometime ago, I was actually relieved because I felt there would be one more person not having kids like me. But within a year she has met a man and had a baby, so I have lost my last hope! I will consider having a child only after my family members are closer to me, otherwise how can I leave my baby for ten days and just go off. At least, that is my excuse; I am not feeling the maternal urge yet.”

In the meanwhile, let the travels prevail “I mainly travel for business, so I only see the hotel where I am staying at, the restaurant where we host an event and the Gucci store in that city. I love Tokyo though, its culture and its sensitive, gentle and creative people. I like the energy of New York; it reminds me of Rome, which is the most incredible place in the world.

“I like to try local cuisines even if I won’t eat much of it. I prefer spicy food and chillies and I am allergic to onion. I love Japanese food, not raw fish though. And I love Indian food, a taste I developed when living in London a few years ago.”

While on India… “I have not visited your country yet, but I know and work with a lot of Indians and I think you women have the most beautiful hair, skin and hands in the world. I love the embroidery, jewellery and use of colour that is unique to India.”

TIPS AND TREASURES

1. My grandmother, my mentor.
2. My favourite scents are jasmine and candles that you can find at Aedes de Venustas, New York.
3. Sabaudia, just south of Rome is my favourite travel destination. I head to these beaches in the summer for two weeks with my husband and family.
4. Favourite book – Asylum, by Patrick McGrath. Favourite piece of art – a sculpture by Brancusi.
5. My most-used item of clothing is a Gucci leather jacket.
6. My grandmother’s fish necklace holds great sentimental value for me.
7. Hair products and make-up essentials include Kerastase Re-Nutritive, YSL Touche Éclat concealer and mascara.
8. I recommend San Lorenzo in London for food. For those shopping in Florence, Farmacia Santa Maria Novella is a beautiful store with specialized beauty products, Studio Puk has great art pieces and Loretta Caponi has lovely old embroidered sheets and linens.
9. The Bouvier bag, inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is my most preferred vintage work bag. I like the style of Kate Moss, Madonna and Amy Winehouse too.

Subscribe to Verve Magazine or buy the Verve issue on stands now!