GIULIA

CoM: WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

GM: My name is Giulia, but during Carnevale you might know me as GiuliainVenice, or simply “that girl with the over-the-top feathered wig and the hand-embroidered dress who’s always smiling.”

CoM: HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT CARNEVALE?

GM: As a kid, I thought Carnevale was just confetti and silly string. Then I walked into Venice one February and realized: real Carnevale is a baroque time portal—and I fell into it like Alice into the Grand Canal. Then life (like fritters) surprised me, and I ended up living here. How could I not be part of it now?

COM: DO YOU GO ANNUALLY NOW?

GM: Yes, every year since 2021. Always in Venice. I design, sew, and hand-embroider my own costumes—because standing still is not in my nature. They’re far too elaborate to go unnoticed, and never quite practical enough to board a Vaporetto without getting hilariously stuck.

COM: HAVE YOU BEEN TO CARNIVAL CELEBRATIONS ANYWHERE ELSE?

GM: I’ve only experienced one—but it’s worth a hundred: the Venice Carnival. It’s a time machine, a living fairytale, a stage where you can be anyone. I choose to be myself—just with feathers, brocade, and a one-meter-high wig.

COM: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT VENICE’S CARNEVALE?

GM: I love the wonder in people’s eyes when they experience Carnevale for the first time—turn a corner and there’s a golden figure in lace and feathers (sometimes it’s me!). I love reuniting with masked friends from all over the world, all living the same dream. And I love the endless creativity: every costume tells a story, every detail is a hand-stitched idea. Carnevale is the only place where being different feels completely normal.

COM: WHAT'S YOUR BEST CARNEVALE STORY OR MEMORY?

GM: One moment you’re strolling through Piazza San Marco, and the next a professional photographer stops you. “You’re perfect. Want to be the face of a campaign for an Italian prosecco?” Minutes later we were gliding through the canals in a gondola, dressed in brocade, holding a glass of bubbles, with the sunset painting the sky. She gifted us the ride, the toast, and a memory that felt like cinema. When I say Carnevale transforms you… I mean it.

COM: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE CARNEVALE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN?

GM: Imagine a period film where all the actors wandered off set and landed in modern-day Venice. Or a baroque fairytale walking through narrow alleys, sipping espresso, and staring at you from behind a mask. Carnevale is everything you don’t need… which makes it absolutely essential.

COM: WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO PREPARE FOR THEIR FIRST CARNEVALE EXPERIENCE?

GM: Wear comfy shoes, thermal layers, and a good sense of humor. You’ll lose your way, maybe your phone, possibly your dignity… but you’ll find yourself in a story you’ll tell for years. And if you can: wear a mask. Not to be seen—but to disappear for a moment and watch the world from behind a hint of mystery. It’s freeing.

COM: ARE YOU A CARNEVALE CREATOR?

GM: Absolutely. I create historical Carnevale costumes—born from an obsession with fine fabrics and an unapologetic love for details. Each outfit begins with a fabric I stumbled upon, a hand embroidery I feel like testing, or an idea that keeps me up at night. I’m not a seamstress… but I’m dangerously close to becoming one.

COM: WHAT DO YOU MAKE AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO THAT?

GM: I pretty much make everything: the dress, the wig, the hats. And what I don’t make by hand, I carefully curate from Venetian artisans who share my obsession with quality. The result? Authentic looks that feel like they stepped out of a painting—but live in the now. People often ask me to make costumes for them, but time is always short. I only use premium, rescued materials—leftover historical fabrics, forgotten brocades, endangered silks. So, if you know suppliers of these treasures… let’s connect. Carnevale is magical, yes—but it’s also a powerful creative network.

COM: DO YOU HAVE A CARNEVALE RELATED BUSINESS OR IS IT SOMETHING YOU DO FOR FUN?

GM: It all started for fun—and it still is. But every costume I create has a cost (in time and in fabric!), so at the end of each season I sell them at the cost of materials, just to fund the next ones. It’s my little way of making Carnevale more sustainable: no waste, just beauty that keeps moving forward. A dress doesn’t end up locked in a closet—it lives on, maybe in another city, with another story to tell.

COM: WHAT'S YOUR GO-TO CARNEVALE SHOP, EVENT, OR SERVICE PROVIDER AND WHY?

GM: A special mention goes to JB Gloves, a small shop near Ponte dell’Ovo that crafts high-quality leather gloves. Anyone who has spent long days in costume during a freezing Venetian February knows how vital it is to stay elegant… and warm! Their gloves go up to the elbow, they’re soft, cozy, and perfectly aligned with the historical aesthetic of Carnevale. They’re a small luxury that turns “suffering for beauty” into “enjoying the magic.”"

COM: THAT CONCLUDES OUR INTERVIEW. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIULIA AND THE BEAUTIFUL DRESSES SHE MAKES CHECK OUT HER INSTAGRAM.