An interview with Maria Litizia: The girl behind the Fashion blog Vita di Moda

In a world where Fashion is all around us, we always want to know what’s the latest trend, who are the hottest designers and which celebrities just made a Fashion faux pas! Fashion blogs have become a huge part of the Fashion world, mainly because they give such a personal viewpoint. Vita di Moda, written by Maria Litizia, is one of our favourite blogs. Maria has such a great writing style, you really feel like you know her after reading through her blog entries. With her recent Cosmopolitan “New Fashion Blogger” nomination, she is definitely one to watch. We recently had a chat with Maria to find out how she was drawn into the fabulous world of Fashion.

First of all, what drew you into the wonderful world of Fashion?

My mum’s side of the family have always been very artistic, so being interested in art was a given. When I was 11 years old, I discovered fashion TV whilst browsing through TV channels and watched my first fashion show: Elie Saab SS’02. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen and knew that this was the industry I was made to work in. 

How would you describe your style?

Really it just depends on my mood in the morning. I was more of a gothic teenager growing up, so leather, black and studs feature heavily in my wardrobe. My sister actually commented on my dress sense saying “no matter what you do, you always look dressy.” I just think every day should be dress-up day.

After witnessing so many changes in the industry over the years, where do you see fashion going? 

To be honest, fashion just repeats itself, so past trends will no doubt make another appearance at some point (never throw clothes away!). When you look at past decades such as the 20s, 60s and 80s, there is always a distinct style that stands out. I just want more of those to happen in this generation and future generations to come.

What wardrobe pieces should every girl have in their closet this season?

This season is all about peplums, studs and – seeing as we are almost into autumn winter – leather gloves. Peplums have been on every catwalk from SS to AW, so those are a must-have. In terms of studs, a lot of DIY bloggers and street styles are featuring studs, so those are the must-have to inject a little edge into any look. I actually just studded a denim shirt and it feels like I’ve just bought it again. I love that feeling. Leather gloves, both long and short are going to be the key accessory for AW so I suggest you get yourself a pair. Not necessarily key for this season, but I always have an LBD in my closet. One for a dressier occasion and one for more casual days. I’m a sucker for black, so an LBD is a must-have for me.

Congratulations on the Cosmopolitan “New Fashion Blogger”nomination. Fingers crossed for you! What made you decide to start a blog? 

Thank you so much! I could hardly believe my luck when I was short listed.

I started blogging purely because I noticed a lot of assessments at university were done through blog posts. I wanted to get acquainted with the process and just fell in love with it ever since. I am at university to study fashion communication in Newcastle, so honing in on my writing skills was something I wanted to improve on. Hence the birth of Vita di Moda.

Another reason for starting my blog was down to my dream job: an editor for a top fashion magazine, so having my fashion blog is like portraying that role in a sense. 

Who is your style icon and what is your favourite era in fashion?

I wouldn’t really say I have a style icon. Like I said before, I wake up in the morning and see what I feel like wearing. I’m a goth at heart and feel comfortable in blacks, greys and other rich, sultry colours.

In terms of my favourite era in fashion, it would have to be the 20s or 70s. The 20s were just so empowering for women in terms of how they were seen and portrayed in the public. I would have loved to have gone out and danced the night away doing the Charleston.

The 70s was the era of the sex pistols, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren, so being a little punky myself, I would have thoroughly enjoyed myself in this decade.

I Loved your blog entry about the Haute Couture collections for Fall 2012. Which was your favourite collection?

Why thank you, I really enjoyed the research when writing that post. I think my favourite would have to be Elie Saab. He was the designer who introduced me to fashion, so I will always have a deep rooted love for him. Jean Paul Gaultier’s collection however embodied everything that I want to see in a couture collection: fun, costume drama and exaggeration, so it was a close call between the two in naming my favourite.

What are your personal favorite blogs? Why?

If I’m honest, I don’t really check out other blogs on a regular basis. It’s not that I’m arrogant or anything like that, it’s just that I don’t have much time to read many blogs. I do have a read list on my blog though, so if you were to check that out, you’ll see some of my favourites. 

Would you like to offer any advice to people wanting to go into fashion?

I think the only think I could say is, follow your heart, ignore negative comments and those telling you that you can’t do something. If you truly want something bad enough, then you have to just go after that ambition, regardless of what anyone tells you. 

Finally, what does the future hold for you – any exciting plans or developments? 

Well like I mentioned earlier, I am soon to be studying my Fashion communications degree in Newcastle, so moving there in September will hopefully meet me with some new experiences and opportunities. Also with my blog being shortlisted in Cosmopolitan magazine, I will be attending the awards ceremony in September/October, so look out for the post featuring that. 

Check out Maria’s blog here.

Louise Elsom