We met Valentina, Founder and Creative Director of Talea, at her charming studio apartment in Rome for a good chat and some shots together. Talea Studio curated the table setting and food design of our latest dinner in Milan last May.
Who is Valentina and What is Talea?
I am the founder and creative director of Talea Studio, a creative reality about set design, table setting and food design.
What do you like most about your work?
The creative and the research part, especially when it comes to table setting and food design: when a brand comes to my studio asking for a project for an event, I like to imagine how to transpose this idea into the table setting and the food experience, so that both of these aspects then become an aesthetic pretext for sharing and conviviality
In a few words, how would you define your style?
I am always in search of a new conception of harmony: colorful but classic; eccentric but essential at the same time.
Designers, artists: whose work has influenced you and your work?
I have a degree in Art history and this background has always influenced my work. Figurative arts, design, artistic currents constantly influence my work: be it the sinuous lines of Matisse, the elegance of Gio Ponti, the composure of Donghi's portraits or the materiality of Leoncillo.
What do you notice immediately when you arrive somewhere?
The so called 'wrong' details. I am not particularly fond of perfection in the classical sense and of typical colour combinations. I like to notice that detail that stands out and almost clashes but then in the overall ambience is cohesive and creates an added value.
What is your favorite place (in the world)?
There are so many places and cities but I would say, above all, that my heart belongs to Rome - the city I l
What is your relationship with fashion and clothing?
I love fashion very much: it is a continuous inspiration from which I take cues, whose colors, shapes, sceneries I like to recall both in the setups and in the study and design of tables and food.
What is your 3 must have in the wardrobe?
I really like to experiment, I get bored a lot! But what can definitely never be missing in my wardrobe is a pair of jeans, an oversized shirt and a pair of bold shoes!
What if you could make a wish?
Keep cultivating my creativity, continuing to be inspired... and maybe even inspire!
Photo credits to Luisa Raheli
