Marilicious
Marilicious is a lively girl with a love for fashion and owner of
Marilicious Shop, providing premium designer clothing. Unfortunately we did not manage to meet up with her, so this interview was done via a couple of emails!
Tell us a few things about yourself and wher you live.
I was born in Paris and I grew up on the French Riviera immersed in two essential cultures in fashion: French, from my mother and Italian from my father.
I fell in love with fashion when I was a little girl and never stopped loving fashion since!
After I obtained a master in economics in France, I moved to Milan and started working for Gianfranco Ferre, Emanuel Ungaro and Vivienne Westwood. I then decided to work as a freelance fashion stylist and I loved every minute of it! I could finally express my creativity & fashion sense, but at the same time it was very important for me to, one day, be able to start my own business in the fashion industry. I therefore enrolled for the SDA Bocconi Master in Fashion, Experience and Design Management, through which I could deepen and stregthen my knowledge.
After graduating I worked as a fashion buyer for the Yoox Group and this is where I discovered the power of internet and truly realised that this was the future! While working there, I have been asked by Fashion Tv to cover fashion shows for two seasons and I couldn't resist the opportunity of managing my own tv shows! I then went back to styling and started to idealise
www.marilicious.com.
I now live between France & Greece from where I manage the website.
How, when and why did you start a fashion blog?
I first launched
Marilicious in 2009. At the time
Marilicious was a fashion, style and beauty guide with various editorials featuring weekly luxurious, yet essential items, together with delicious tips. In the vision of becoming a true fashion expert and providing a full stylistic experience, I decided to re-construct
Marilicious, updating the website by integrating an online store and fashion blog. The new version was launched in April 2011 and is now an all-in-one online style platform with offices in France and Greece.
Marilicious was created because I wanted to share style & beauty tips based on my true experiences & adventures. I am always looking around for new beauty products and I love planning outfits!
I am a shopping freak but I believe that with the general economic climate it is becoming crazy to pay high prices for clothing & accessories.
Marilicious is for people who are trendy & fashionable, who don't want to renounce wearing premium designer brands. I wanted to give access to quality fashion in an economic way.
Has your life changed in any way since you started blogging?
My life has changed in the sense that I am discovering and experiencing what it is to be a multi-tasking fashion entrepreneur! It is a very exciting experience where I am able to express myself in so many ways.
What is the item(s) in your closet that you can't live without?
Without any doubts: shoes! I couldn't live without tank tops as well! You always need basics to construct a look.
Describe your personal style and your outfit inspirations.
I would describe my style as casual chic.
I love playing with contrasts and mixing textures. I think that the key to a great look is to be able to mix things that don't obviously go together. Wearing a sporty outfit and adding pearls to the mix or wearing a classy dress with funky accessories.
I think Patricia Field is a master in that and I truly admire her work. I still feel inspired by looks from Sex & City episodes!
A valuable source of inspiration is fashion shows. I watch them over and over again and each time I find something new that triggers my imagination.
A rule of thumb is to use fashion as a tool to express your own style. The beauty & fun of fashion is to use the different trends to feed your own personal style. Trends come and go, and they last longer than you would think! Some trends last 2 or 3 seasons and you can actually use past items to express a current trend. This is what I am trying to show with
Marilicious. You can be very trendy & fashionable with last season's dresses! Who cares if it is not from a current collection, if it is fabulous (and...cheaper) we wear it! It is time to be "stylish for less"!
What are your favorite designers and places to shop?
What is the first thing that you notice in another person's outfit?
I first look at the shoes, then I observe how this person has combined colours and fabrics.
What is your dream buy?
A birkin.
Do you shop online?
Yes! A lot!
What are your favorite bloggers?
I like the
Sartorialist. Scott Schuman is really able to catch fashion in its natural habitat, the street. He takes lovely pictures that are a true source of inspiration.
I also like
Sea of Shoes. Jane Aldridge is different and posts beautiful pictures.
Another blog is
Fashionista, which is a fantastic portal for fashion, full of news on the industry.
Who are your favorite designers?
I love Lanvin, Elie Saab, La Perla, DSQUARED2, Marni and everything that Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford do.
How and where do you imagine yourself in 10 years time?
I would like to be recognised as a fashion expert and mogul by turning
Marilicious into an empire! :) Why not? You need to think big in order to succeed!
I would like
Marilicious to be a must-go online fashion destination and have a
Marilicious clothing line, perfume etc on top of the all-in-one style platform that
Marilicious is right now.
Check out Marilicious closet
here!