curator of our SS19 issue, "KAWAII", and creative director of GCDS

photographed in Paris by Nicolas Wagner. all clothing GCDS

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness? I’ve been happy many times in my life and is connected to me embracing what I have, and not looking somewhere else. You have to water your own plants to make them blossom. 2. What is your greatest fear? To be alone. 3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Sometimes I’m not welcoming if I don’t like someone’s energy. 4. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Arrogant, know-it-all people. 5. Which living person do you most admire? Peter Griffin. 6. What is your greatest extravagance? I spend all my money on others or stupid stuff, like a12 year old. Someone said, “you could spend 10 thousand dollars in a candy shop withouth even noticing it”. 7. What is your current state of mind? I’m tryna slow down, cause everything’s going faster. 8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Decency. 9. On what occasion do you lie? When I have to get people excited about something that is totally boring. 10. What do you most dislike about your appearance? My Britney Spears eyes. 11. Which living person do you most despise? The Sultan of Brunei. He seems more like a Flintstones episode, rather than reality. 12. What is the quality you most like in a man? Intellect. 13. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Confidence. 14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Cute. 15. What or who is the greatest love of your life? Yigit and my mum. 16. When and where were you happiest? When I was a waiter in China. 17. Which talent would you most like to have? Dancing. 18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Laziness. I can’t wake up at morning. 19. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Having a team that is happy to work with me. 20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? Myself? 21. Where would you most like to live? 6 months in NYC. Summer in Italy. 22. What is your most treasured possession? My gold rings, Mickey Mouse Rolex and Sugar Bear ring from Tokyo. 23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Not willing to work. 24. What is your favorite occupation? Being in my office, without having to run from one meeting to another. Having time to create a variety of items while changing colors and fabrics, and experiment in my lab. 25. What is your most marked characteristic? I give the same respect to all people. 26. What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty. 27. Who are your favorite writers? Is manga OK? Akira Toriyama triggerd my early imagination, but also Jeff Vander Meer, Shirley Jackson, JK Rowling. 28. Who is your hero of fiction? Halfway between Tasmanian Devil and James Bond, spiced up with Spongebob naïvetés. 29. Which historical figure do you most identify with? I studied political science and I was impressed by Harvey Milk. I said to myself, “one day, you’ll be president”. But unfortunately, my Marie Antoinette attitude took over. Now, I run my palace between parties and the fashion show, trying to find a way to change the world in my own little way. 30. Who are your heroes in real life? My parents. 31. What are your favorite names? Yigit means courage in Turkish. 32. What is it that you most dislike? People talking about things without knowing what they are talking about. It really makes me upset. 33. What is your greatest regret? I don’t have many. Maybe as a teen, I could have lived with more intensity in the moments that I thought would last forever. 34. How would you like to die? I want to be around 85, with a lucid mind and healthy body. I want to be in a country house, surrounded by family, nephews, friends and pets. Maybe it is Christmas. Or, maybe we are just tightly knit as if it’s Christmas every day. 35. What is your motto? If it’s smart, then do it.

a short letter by Giuliano, discussing his first time in Tokyo

GIULIANO CALZA INTERVIEW / PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE