Controversa meets: Gaia Segattini

We met Gaia in September 2020 at Abilmente in Vicenza: we brought her the first prototypes of our Controversa and her enthusiasm was really great and sincere. So much so that we can say that she herself presented the project to her entire audience of makers via her Instagram profile, in a series of stories live from the fair. A really exciting moment for us! We got back in touch with her a few months later to ask her some questions in Controversa style and to find out why she decided to use our reversible box for a capsule of her own in collaboration with illustrator Antonio Colomboni, aka Scombinanto.

Hi Gaia! We've known each other for a while now but we'd like you to introduce yourself again: we'd like to do it in a Controversa mode though! Thinking of a box containing a kit to tell you about yourself, what would we find?

A ball of yarn, an old CD of 90s indie music, a photo of my great-grandparents, the book "Futuro Artigiano" by Stefano Micelli and "Please Kill Me" by Legs Mc Neal.

Which aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?

In general I love to create connections and working on an aesthetic imaginary with proactive people who I respect professionally and humanly.

Looking back, what has been a challenge in your professional career?

I would say taking on the responsibility of demonstrating in practice the trust that my partner placed in me when he agreed to produce my brand.

What have been some particularly shining moments?

Definitely when I first launched my products online, which sold out in 5 minutes, and when 2 years later we were selected to appear in British Vogue.

Why did you choose Controversa for your business?

I believe in added value beyond the product and in details that pamper the end customer. For our collaboration with the illustrator Antonio Colomboni, creating a box with the same patterns that amplified the sense of the project and remained as a reusable object after purchase seemed to us a perfect solution that put together sustainability and aesthetics without having to choose between the two values, exactly what we do every day for our shirts.

How did you reuse your Controversa?

Right now it sits on my desk in the office and contains evidence of knitting, stitches, yarns.

Controversa was born as a tool for different businesses, so also for yours: what would you like for your professional future? Are there any other tools you feel you need?

Customizable paper envelopes for shipping.

To whom would you recommend Controversa?

To very small brands to characterize their product more and to larger brands to create a thematic capsule.