The way to success: 'If you want to see change, it starts with you'

Before you start reading, get this playlist ready and turn up the volume. "Super Graphic, Ultra Modern Girl by Chappell Roan, one of the most talented pop artists of this generation. Alternate it with Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Bach, Beethoven'. The soundtrack to the meeting with Nicola Formichetti reflects his eclectic nature, heedless of boundaries, which over the years has allowed him to weave together fashion houses such as Mugler, Diesel, Uniqlo, collaborations with different brands and sectors (Dom Pérignon, Barneys, Nike) and personalities (Nicole Kidman, JLo, Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga). Since May last year, he has been global creative director of M-A-C Cosmetics, with extended responsibility for product development, collaborations and consumer initiatives worldwide. Art, film, music, digital and beauty: her inspirational reference points are manifold. 'I love all expressions of creativity, not least theatre, history, pop. I keep an open mind and preclude nothing. I am interested in everything, but what makes the difference is how I let myself be inspired: for me it is important to carve out a space, free my mind and let the ideas come. Maybe when I am exercising, drawing, playing the piano, walking around listening to music. Or when I play video games and, believe me, they are pure passion for me, especially the old school ones like Dragon Quest. It's fun, relaxing, addictive: it's no coincidence that my tattoos are inspired by video game characters. The best visions are born like that, when I'm with my head elsewhere and I'm not looking for them'.

From fashion to beauty, the leap is both short and abysmal. Let's try to play the game of similarities and differences. "Lately, I have often found myself thinking about this. They are undoubtedly interconnected universes, but the experience changes, the perception one has of it: fashion is what you show the world, it is appearing, while make-up, skincare are more personal experiences. It is an intimate, everyday gesture that gives space for care and transformation. What they have in common is that they are a means of expressing one's personality and making one feel better in one's own skin. In the female sensibility, these two dimensions are co-present and equally important, while intercepting the male market is perhaps more difficult for the cosmetics sector than for fashion. "It is not, in fact we are witnessing a real boom: men have become very familiar with the beauty world, they take care of their appearance, their skin and use make-up products". The brand that Nicola Formichetti heads today has always used an across-the-board claim: All Ages. All Races. All Genders. "I think it's a memorable and perfect phrase, it doesn't need anything else. If I had to update it further, I would add All Voices. All Stories: whatever you want to say, we give you a voice, we are here for you'. This choral idea, of co-participation and responsibility, is a red thread that extends far beyond the aspects of professional life. Formichetti likes to repeat that 'the best thing each of us can do is to give our best. Because this will end up involving and convincing others as well. Being more compassionate, listening and supporting, doing good, donating, actively participating in community life can have a positive impact on everyone and inspire them. I am convinced that everything starts from oneself: the first step is to start being more aware and this is the key to igniting the engine of change'. His roots, half Italian and half Japanese, play a part in this systemic and interconnected vision of the world. "I feel a lot of affinity with Japan: I grew up in Tokyo and the sensitivity for that aesthetic of beauty is part of my DNA. The gentleness of forms, the cleanliness and rigour of geometries, the craftsmanship, the ability to capture beauty even in imperfections as taught by the wabi-sabi philosophy: these aspects of tradition belong to me. Just as I am fascinated, in sharp contrast, by street culture, anime, manga, the eccentricity of youth fashion in the Harajuku district'.

Inevitably, the discourse extends to sustainability: is there a simple gesture, a habit that Formichetti has adopted with the protection of the planet in mind? "Doing something, even something really small, but every single day and with conviction, is what changes, first of all, your mentality and then can inspire those around you. Respecting the environment, avoiding waste, recycling are in my routine'.

Volcanic, accustomed to provocation, animated by a daring energy, some remember him for having designed the meat dress worn by Lady Gaga at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, others associate Formichetti with Diesel's disruptive campaigns, others with the genderless signature NicoPanda. "Actually, as much as I'm portrayed as an over-the-top person, I don't think I've ever done anything that extravagant or crazy. I'd like to do something more eccentric. Maybe I'll do it with M-A-C...'. And that is his new challenge.

"I have always been attached to the brand, long before I took on this role: it has made history with its approach of inclusiveness and its ability to convey this also through campaigns. I started working with it as a young stylist and then with Lady Gaga for the brand activism project Viva Glam: it was wonderful for me, a natural evolution because, at its base, there is a shared vision. Now I aim to honour the heritage of the brand, but I also want to bring it up to date by aligning it to today's context, to create a bridge to the present, projected into the future, thinking of the generations to come. I want to innovate not only in terms of products, but also in terms of experiences'. Are you also referring to in-store activities? "Yes, I am already at work and it will soon become a reality. When M-A-C opened, it was actually a community hub, a meeting and event space for make-up artists. Over time it has expanded globally, or rather I should say it has grown bigger, perhaps losing some of the spirit of the project from the start. What I intend to do is to bring it back to life: now that online shopping is becoming more and more popular, it is important that the store enriches the offer with experiences, encounters, opportunities to learn, to experience the sensoriality of the products first hand'. Formichetti has a reputation for being super creative, but with a strong business soul. 'It is a typically Japanese attitude. For me, creativity and business walk side by side. I believe that to create a good product, capable of reaching far and connecting more and more people, the two aspects must coexist'.