Inside 10: Pierpaolo Piccioli Shows Us His Desk

If the eyes are the window to the soul, the desk, you could say, is the pathway into the mind of the creative. Being the nosy bunch we are, we asked a group of our favourite designers, PRs and friends in fashion to let us inside their offices to see how they work. Expect pristine desks from the finest vintage dealers, the best stationary about, and of course, the occasional bit of clutter. Fashion folk are only human, after all…Today we step into the office of Valentino‘s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli. 

Where did you buy your desk?

“I inherited this beautiful piece of furniture from Mr Garavani. I would not spend too many words on the design of the desk or the exact kind of wood it is made from, let alone the provenance etc. What is interesting about this desk is its symbolic meaning: it is a solid support for my creativity. I inherited it from an important past and I try to make the best out of it, just like my whole career.”

Do you like a tidy desk or a messy one?

“My desk is messy during the creative process. Then, when the collection is released, I take all the work materials off and it becomes tidy. These alternately messy and tidy moments are part of my rituals, and I am happy with it.”

What’s the most sentimental thing you have on it?

“Every personal project regarding my friends and family is sentimental to me. When I work for someone I love, I feel grateful for the chance. It seems like I am contributing to their happiness with my pencil. A real dream.”

What’s the proudest thing you’ve created while sitting at your desk?

I could not mention a specific collection. All of the ones I have designed on this desk are special to me. What makes me proud about the way I work when I use this desk is the absence of any filters and barriers between me and whoever is sitting in front of me. I don’t use a computer and I enjoy the dialogue.

Photography by Pierpaolo Piccioli. Keep your eyes peeled for more inductees to our Me and My Desk series. Taken from Issue 58 of 10 Men – ELEGANCE, GRACE, BEAUTY – out NOW. Purchase here.

@pppiccioli