All photos courtesy of Lisa-Marie Pezzati
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Lisa-Marie Pezzati, and I am a fashion designer. I design clothing, accessories, and some home decor items. I work in many mediums. I knit, crochet, sew, and do wire work. I’m all over the place with my creative outlets.
How did you get your start?
In my adolescence I would redesign my clothes, dismantle whatever old jewelry my mother would give me, and create new pieces. It drove my mom insane, but I was going to do what I was going to do. Eventually she just went with it. In my adult life, I taught myself to crochet and knit and then, soon after, came sewing. I decided to enroll in fashion school and get my BFA in Fashion Design and Merchandising.
What inspires you?
I get inspired by so many things. I get inspired by music, goth subculture, and pop culture (mostly of the 90’s variety). I also draw inspiration from my own fashion preferences. I don’t tend to follow trends or fashion forecasts.
What do you like about AZ?
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Arizona. I’m not too impressed by what I have seen in the fashion scene here. A lot of deconstructed clothing and duct tape ensembles. It just seems like a big popularity contest that isn’t based on actual skill, but on how many buddies you have in the local artist scene. I’m definitely trying to change that along with some of the extremely talented designers that I went to school with. They have strong, original designs that should be seen.
Where can we see your work?
My finished pieces are on the Facebook and Etsy pages, and you can see my process day to day on Instagram.
You can also see my new Spring 2016 line along with other local designers at the Spring Utopia Fashion Show on April 24th at the Tempe Center of the Arts (more info here). It is a charity event to help raise Autism Awareness and to raise funds for local school programs for autistic children.
What would you like to accomplish before you die?
Gosh, I’d like to do everything before I die! My main goals are to show at New York Fashion Week at least once. I’d like to own a boutique and provide a comfortable life for my children so that they have the freedom to pursue their passions.
What is your mantra?
“Ridicule is nothing to be scared of.” Pretty self-explanatory. You have Adam Ant to thank for that little gem. The man is a genius, AND a fashion misfit. I adore him.
