Own It
Marissa doesn’t subscribe to a list of fashion do’s and don’ts. In her book, when it comes to truly rocking a look, believing in yourself is what matters most. “I do not believe in fashion don’ts, only the inability or lack of self assurance to carry something off,” says Marissa. “Confidence is key: own your look.”
Buy Less, Accessorize More
When asked about what’s in store for handbags in the next six months, Marissa says labels are out and quality is in. “I am really over the status handbag,” she says. “I think that the next big trend (besides Lucy’s Sister handbags, which will launch in the spring of 2008) is going to be a really well-made handbag where the quality of the materials used and the workmanship is center stage, not the designer name that is attached and/or splashed all over it. I have a collection of gorgeous handmade leather bags that were made by various leather artisans based in New York City’s Greenwich Village in the ’60s and ’70s. These handbags are so well crafted and made out of the most gorgeous leather. Ironically, every time I wear one I get asked if it is a Balenciaga, Chloe, or Marni bag!”
Overall, Marissa points to the European trend of working with what’s in your closet, as simple as it might be, and putting your own personal stamp on it. “I think that people are finally getting used to wearing accessories that show off their individual style,” she says. “I believe that the trend will be to adopt a more European mindset when it comes to one’s wardrobe, which is to buy less, work with what one has, and accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. One can wear the most anonymous outfit, but add a great belt, pair of shoes, etc., and you really own your look. My belts are great for this because all the buckles and straps are interchangeable, which allow the wearer’s personality to show through.”
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The Devil Wears Spada
You know, fettuccini, if you look really hard, is shaped a bit like an ecru-colored leather belt. And the grainy texture of meatballs, at closer glance, could inspire a mad-cool buckle...
Just a couple of the random thoughts that meandered through Marissa Spada’s fashion-obsessed head when she was waiting tables in the North End.
Yes, she’s changed careers—no surprise to her loyal customers along Hanover Street, but a bit disappointing. They looked forward to seeing her stomp over to the kitchen in black combat boots, arms lined with Egyptian gold bangles. She could plate a mean bowl of pasta, but Marissa has always turned heads for her style. The only child of a building contractor and stay-at-home mom, she spent weekends trekking from Medford to the North End to visit her Italian relatives, who loved to wax on about “the life” in Sicily and Calabria. In America, there was freedom, si, but in the old country, the fresh cannolis tasted better.
Marissa loved a good cannoli, too, but appreciated a hand-embroidered coat more. When it was time for college, she attended the University of Massachusetts in Boston, and spent a semester in London that focused her fashionista inclinations. She transformed into an Anglophile, channeling Twiggy in Hyde Park and Marianne Faithful along King’s Road. When she returned to Boston, she waitressed in her favorite North End haunts for hard-earned cash, and spent it all scouring flea markets for groovy vintage ’60s go-go boots and leopard-print jackets.
Finally, after being encouraged by her Italian grandmothers and café customers alike, Marissa started an accessories line, called Lucy’s Sister (Lucy is her dog.). A chunky brown leather strap adorned with a brass peace sign tricks up high-waisted jeans, while a finely embossed black belt with a flower-power buckle balances out a polished Burberry trench. It’s Austin Powers meets Paris Hilton—fun, cheeky glam. Marissa quit waitressing, and now she’s picking up accounts one by one as well as celebrity customers including Fergie, Hilary Duff and Goldie Hawn. She hopes to roll out a handbag and coat collection soon, in designs that nod to the mod in all of us, but can grow—just in case we indulge in an Italian pastry or two. |
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