The Festival dei Due Mondi: what I learned

The festival already feels distant, and yet only two weeks have passed. A lot has happened since — but this is a story I want to tell, because it taught me a great deal.

Back in January, while planning the first Fiordalysia shoot and sewing the first pieces, I had thought how wonderful it would be to exhibit at the Festival dei Due Mondi. Then came the setbacks, the delays, and eventually I let the idea go — it seemed too late. Then, as if by magic, a dear friend reached out, and what had been a January dream became a July reality.

The universe listens. That is the first thing I learned.

What I'm taking home:

If I have the opportunity to exhibit at the Festival dei Due Mondi again, I will bring only unique, artistic pieces. It is the right space for that — not for more conventional bridal gowns. Every event calls for a different wardrobe, and learning to recognise that is part of the craft.

My designs were appreciated above all for the choice of materials, the hand craftsmanship and — something I hadn't taken for granted — their simplicity. What seems obvious to us isn't always obvious to those seeing it for the first time.

More evening wear is needed. I have no doubts about that. And in the future I'd love to bring all my worlds to different exhibitions — bridal, evening, artistic — each in the context that belongs to it.

The theme of recycling and deadstock fabric touched a great many people. It isn't just an ethical choice — it's a story worth telling, and people feel it.

Meeting new artisans, designers and fashion professionals was one of the most valuable parts of the experience. Live feedback, real conversations, people's stories — I had missed it deeply, and only realised how much when I found it again.

The goodie bags worked beautifully. I'll remember that for next time.

And finally: social media is a wonderful tool, but nothing replaces real people, in person. That connection is irreplaceable.

Fiordalysia is still small, still being built. But every step — even the ones that feel like a detour or a delay — leads somewhere. Sometimes it leads exactly where you wanted to go.

Alysia