Sara Calzana - Fashion Designer

Sara Calzana is a 24 year-old fashion designer and student from Bergamo, Italy. Let's hear her story and see some of her creations!

@sara.calzana on Instagram

“I've always been a creative person, ever since I was a kid. My grandfather had a huge passion for oil painting and taught me to paint. This is why I decided to embark on a creative study path, but I never thought that fashion could be my way. If you knew me you would never think of me as a fashion designer because...well, I'm a tomboy. I love doing sports! In summer when I am at the beach I love to kitesurf, while in winter I dedicate myself to snowboarding. They are two sports that make me feel alive and a little reckless. I love a little danger.

But fashion and design allow me to fantasize and create. I learned to appreciate textiles, to understand that fashion is culture, it is tradition and craftsmanship. I’m currently a master’s student in Design at the Politecnico di Milano. I’ve found that there is a whole fashion world to discover... It's something so amazing, and I find that I can really express myself through my design.”

How did you get into fashion design?

“I started so randomly, with no motivation at all to be honest. I wanted to try it out because I was looking for a career that I could continue after my design courses. Now, I am happy to have ended up in this world. It feels satisfying to finish projects after you have worked for them day and night. Its tiring but extremely gratifying. What I like about this job is that I am doing it for others and not only myself. Before starting to do fashion design, I was used to another type of drawing—figurative arts, renaissance drawings, etc.

I would love to work in high fashion. I feel like I can be more creative and free. More specifically, I would like to dive more into the Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is a new district that is quickly emerging where they concentrate on producing a clean design using sustainable materials. You know, fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world. To simply create a cotton t-shirt you need thousands of litres of water (27,000 to be exact) and 50,000 for a pair of jeans for example. So yes, we have to change this for sure...I think in the future it will become an obligation to create clothing in a sustainable way.”

What do you like doing to relax?

“Listening to music helps me relax. The company of my friends and boyfriend helps me feel calm too. Sometimes I draw. To be honest, since I really don’t have a lot of time, I try to go to frisbee training as well. I started frisbee during my sophomore year in high school. There are very few centers in Italy and it's not yet recognized as a federal sport because there is no referee.. It's pretty strange but I love practicing it and playing with my girls. I love the team!

My future plans..well I hope to graduate in December. My major thesis is going to be about new possible scenarios for the natural dye-in-garment. So it’s going to be a sportive collection with natural fibres, possibly bio, so less usage of pesticides and water (for example cotton). Everything is going to be in white, so when the customer buys the item he can choose what type of color dye to use and do it at home! Hypothetically, this means a very low environmental impact.

Also I would love to find a job in Copenhagen, do several months of experience there, or alternatively, in Sweden. I love nordic design!”

On Instagram: @sara.calzana