Interview with Manny Serrano

Dopo essere stato intervistato da questo portale americano (lookbooks.com) formato da persone che praticano moda tutti i giorni,ho sentito l'esigenza di ricambiare questo favore e anche per capire chi fossero queste persone ho fatto alcune domande al direttore artistico Mr.Manny Serrano.

How did the idea of lookbooks come about and why?
It started with my business partner Ryan Cook.  He was an ex-model with an extensive network within the industry.  After speaking with fellow models and other fashion professionals, he realized what they really wanted was to build a community for exposure, networking and research, basically to help them take their career to the next level.  He partnered with myself and Jon Levy to bring this idea to life.  While both of us are entrepreneurial, we each bring different strengths to the table which is nice and why it works so well.  We launched the website in April 2009, and we have been growing ever since. We hope to keep the momentum going!

Who inspired your website?
No one in particular per se.  It was pretty much every person we met and talked to in the industry.  We realized that a social media platform like ours didn't exist. That's why we launched it.

What are your future plans?
We're actually in the midst of launching a re-design for the site within the next few weeks.  Expect a brand new UI and some new tools that our current/ new users will hopefully love, find useful and potentially make some money.  Stay tuned!
 
Let's talk about style...What is Style for you?
I personally define Style as someone's point of view.  It's one way for someone to express how he or she is feeling at that particular moment.  It's clearly a constantly evolving thing.  I also believe that Style is not necessarily just about the clothes you wear.  It's more than that.   Confidence and creativity also play a big part.
 
In your opinion, seeing so much blogs around the world, which will be the 2010 trend?
The trends for 2010, I think, will still be driven by what you see on the streets. Stylish everyday people subconsciously influence the new resurgence of the military trend - this time, worn with a more distressed edge and punked-up vibe. Also, this season will be very print-centric - from abstract to animalistic to quirky. I’m seeing the return of the trend of feathers in fashion lately, albeit a challenging trend to wear but will lend a nice outlandish touch to accessorizing.
 
Is there an item in your wardrobe that you are embarrassed about?
A bright yellow M&M t-shirt.   I was the yellow M&M for Halloween. It's cute but absolutely embarrassing.
 
The most loved item you have in your wardrobe?
My leather jacket from Zara.  I bought it with a good friend and it reminds me of her.  It also wasn't that expensive but it's still stylish and versatile.  I can wear it with so many outfits which makes my life so much easier!
 
Who is the best Italian designer for you? Why?
Frida Giannini for Gucci.  She is a genius when it comes to anticipating trends and designing modern styles while always keeping in mind the business strategy.  And her skills to create innovative accessories are remarkable.
 
The Best designer of all time?
I love Coco Chanel for what she did for fashion.  She was such a pioneer.  She shook up the fashion industry with her designs.  Through her designs, she allowed women to be more open and expressive with their clothes.
 
What is the best streetstyle blog? (except lookbooks.com)
So many great streetstyle blogs to choose from.  Naplestreetstyle is definitely up there...  I'm also a big fan of Sea of Shoes and Trendycrew.  They have a great eye towards fashion and capture some amazing trends happening in fashion lately. 
 
What is the best city to take streetstyle pictures for you? Why?
Paris, France. The Parisiennes have a very natural flair for chic dressing merged with the beautiful urban landscape of Paris which makes for fabulous street style pictures.
 
What do you think about naplestreetstyle.com?
It's amazing and fun!  It's a great depiction of the lifestye and fashion scene of Naples.  We're constantly impressed with your streetstyles.  More importantly, this guy Vince who works there is pretty cool!