Federico has an excellent start in life and in his modeling career, he left a beautiful place called Sardinia, an island off Italy’s peninsula, the largest capital is Cagliari. But a call has changed the course of this provincial boy for good. He has spent a short period of time (around 6 months) modeling and living unforgettable new experiences like the new Portraits campaign from F/W 2016 by Dolce & Gabbana and Adidas originals, straight to the big leagues in the world of fashion.
Ciao Federico (come stai è un piacere!) those are the only words I can say in Italiano, do you guys from Sardinia have a special accent from the rest of Italia?
Ciao carissimo è un piacere! Yeah a lot of people joke about our accent hahaha, we have a really special one in my island, it has a really Mediterranean flavor! But I find it beautiful!
So are you living unforgettable experiences right now? Back in the day, while you were only a kid in Sardinia, did you ever think about being a model?
I’m living the dream life! But back in the day, my dream life was following perfect waves around the world! I was just a normal kid that was addicted to water and music! Never thought to be a model! I was also really, really shy!
We can see on your Instagram account that you like surfing, we guess that, born and raised on an island, it’s the best hobby or sport that any kid from Sardinia could have, is it?
Yeah as I was saying, my number one passion was and still is surfing! Anytime I find some time I love to travel to different countries and discover new waves! Surfing is not the usual hobby for kids in my island, most of them play soccer or basketball! And a lot of people don’t know that we have really good waves in Sardinia! But now the new generations are finally starting a bigger “surfing movement”, gonna be cool in a couple of years!
How were you discovered and how was your experience in working for ILOVE MODELS?
I tried modelling a few years ago but my experience was not so good and I decided to quit after a few months and go back to my studies! After my graduation last November, I decided to try again but to work on the highest level as possible, so I decided to meet with the team at ILove models in Milan, they gave me this beautiful opportunity to do my first FW in January and after 6 months here we are! All the team at ILove is like a family for me and I LOVE to work with them hahaha
Where are you based right now? Are you living in Milan?
I’ve been based all winter in Milan, now I’m starting to travel a lot more so we will see where life takes me!
Every agency around the world is looking for the best and original guy to work for, in Milan it’s tight, so much competition, would you say it was about your looks or a shot of luck?
The competition is massive, nowadays it’s the dream of everyone to be a model and once you are there are thousands of other models, it’s not easy to succeed in a market like Milano and prove yourself in other markets like Paris or New York! Maybe sometimes luck helped me, but I think that basically it’s hard work and maybe being in the right place at the right moment!
In six months on the modeling scene, what’s the best experience you have lived?
Going to New York was amazing, it was my first time ever there and I loved the city and the people, and of course travelling to Naples to shoot the D&G ad campaign was one of the best experiences ever, and I also had the best pizza of my life in the middle of the shoot hahaha.
We bet Dolce & Gabbana is one of the best, how was the connection, and did you get along with Stefano and Domenico?
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are two amazing people, and I think that they are doing an amazing job to show to the world the beauty of our country and especially of the south of Italy, being part of that for me was an honour and working for them is always fun and inspiring!
This is your first MFW, would you consider it again and again?
I did my first season in January and now my second season in June-July and it was great! FW is the perfect play ground to succeed and show if you can really “play in this game”, there is a lot of competition and I’ll keep proving myself in the next years and do my best!
Most of the guys hate castings, but it is a part of it, what do you think?
Castings are the biggest part of the job! I see every single casting as an opportunity, sometimes gets boring and super busy, but it’s part of the game, for now I’ve never missed a casting in my life and I try always to be in the best shape possible (my agent gonna be proud of me hahaha)
We heard you listen to your cellphone while you’re waiting outside the casting doors, what’s the last tune you listened to?
Music is the thing that keeps me going all day long, sometimes people make fun of me for it, ‘cause I’m literally always with my headphones hahaha my last addicting tune is “Hermitude – The Buzz“
How do you prepare to be a runway model, editorial model and lookbook model, have you been reading any books about it, or watching videos? Can you mention any difference?
I think that a higher level model should be good for all kinds of jobs! Basically I just try to always be myself and do a lot of sport and have a healthy life! I think that it’s something that or you have or you don’t!
One of your first experiences was working with Stefania Paparelli, how was your first experience working with a photographer?
Stefania Paparelli is super talented, working with her was a big lesson for me, and I love the vibe that she puts in the pictures! For me it was not the first time that I was working with a photographer because before I had already had the opportunity ‘cause of surfing and ‘cause of my mother who now is an art photographer and took the first pictures ever of me, and I still have one of them in my book!
Then comes your editorial shoot with Tim Clark and your 2 spreads on ICON, how do you feel about that?
In the beginning I was so surprised, it was like a dream come true to work for big magazines with some of the best people in the market!
Who would you love to work with?
I would love to work with Steven Meisel who is one of my heroes, and then Mr. Armani!
Magazines like Esquire, ICON and even Models.com are spreading out your work and supporting you and then comes VanityTeen, so this is HUGE!!! What do you say about it?
Now I can just say that hard work and passion are always paying back, and that it’s amazing the fact that a lot of people are supporting me in this long trip to the top! So I can just say thank you to everyone and be thankful to what life is giving me!
Tell me somethingt hat nobody knows about you?
I do not like cats! Hahaha
What’s your best highlight from your looks and physique? By the way, we love your eyes!
Thank you!! I just love myself haha if I would say something maybe I would say my eyes too!
How do you spend your free time, are you always checking your social networks, or reading some books?
When I have some free time I basically try to stay out with friends or just see new places as much as I can, but yes I have to say that I spend a lot of time on my social networks, but I promise that I’m not using Pokemon Go hahaha, by the way I usually read at night to relax!
In five years, where will you be?
Probably on the moon or maybe here who knows, I’m not really thinking about it! Just trying to do my best and live as many experiences as I can!
If you were living on a remote island like Sardinia, but with no people, if you could take one book, one movie, one CD/album, and one food for the rest of your life, what are they?
For sure “The Lord of the Rings”, then my favourite movie which is “Big Wednesday”, my favourite album “By the Way” from the “Red Hot Chilli Peppers” and lasagna for the rest of my life please hahaha
Tell me something only a few people know about you?
If you see me in the street with my headphones, don’t talk to me please, I have to finish listening to the song first! I could get nervous hahaha
People you admire?
My father and my mother of course! In the fashion industry…Steven Meisel, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Domenico and Stefano Gabbana. Outside, Muhammed Ali!
Any worst time on the modeling scene that you don’t want to repeat again?
I think I’ve been pretty lucky for the moment! But something that I would like to do again is my first casting ever, ‘cause my walk was sooo bad, it was a funny moment of my life hahaha
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