A Fortela Woman - Alessandra Grillo

The brilliant smile, an agile savoir faire, tempered by years of experience, the practical intelligence of a woman who invented the life she wanted. Alessandra Grillo, from Taranto to Milan, from public relations to wedding organisation, with an agile but sure step, is the perfect embodiment of the Fortela style. And not by chance.

A story of friendship

Alessandra met Alessia Giacobino, designer of the Fortela women's collection, already when Giacobino was at the helm of her brand Jo No Fui, a fashion success made of femininity, character and Made in Italy.

A great complicity is immediately born between the two women: they are free spirits, passionate professionals, women who love the freedom of dressing without logos, following the inclination of the moment, never sexy, but always fascinating. Alessandra wears the looks that Alessia designs with pleasure and often asks that some items be made specifically for her, for her events. And so it happens.

And when Alessia gets married, Alessandra is there, as wedding planner, to take care of every detail of her "yes". Years pass, brands change, couple bonds transform, but that something that unites the two friends remains intact. This is where this harmony comes from: it is a closeness of style choices.

A "matter of feeling", one might say. A commonality of ideals, a true bond which, beyond the noisy worlds of fashion and events, has also brought them closer together on a path of human and spiritual growth.

Independence and style

Alessandra is like Alessia, a woman who did everything alone. He founded a communications, PR, marketing and events agency, Brothers & Sisters and in 2021 he published the book "Le Cose da Vicino", for Sperling & Kupfer.

She has curated some of the most important weddings in recent years and is considered an influencer.

Definitely sui generis: beautiful with a beauty without clichés, unique, cultured, with classical studies, with her balance at heart - which she defines as the best accessory -, she is happy to be able to wear something that reflects her sensitivity and her nature.

Fascinated by the warm earth tones, and by turquoise - a sacred stone to the Navajo Indians and the ideal lucky charm for every Fortela look - she plays with an entirely Mediterranean palette: from total white - with the thousand shades of each white - to ocher and brick red .

Free from any conformism and any diktat – Alessandra who understands rules and ceremonies – is an image of independence and grace.

Because she is the kindness of a soul who knows how to say thank you, and who has always known how to remain rooted in true things, without ever losing the joy of "looking towards the sun", as she tells us.

What does he love? Traditions and good manners, dreams, attention to detail, traveling the world but staying in Italy with your heart. Like Fortela.

How did your friendship with Alessia Giacobino begin?

“I met her thanks to a press office, in the period in which Alessia was designing her brand Jo No Fui, a brand that I adored. And we became friends.

When I planned her wedding, she designed me a beautiful dress for the occasion.

A beautiful, but very particular dress: it was fluorescent yellow. I was a little ashamed of wearing such a bright shade to a wedding, but it was Alessia who wanted me like this. I also wore it for a wedding in Sorrento many years later: a dress that is still gorgeous today, a timeless piece that remains in my wardrobe like a precious jewel."

What do you wear to feel comfortable?

“The first thing I need to feel comfortable is within myself.

There is no dress that can take me out of this uncomfortable condition, if this is what I feel deep inside.

Those are the days when the wardrobe never seems to be enough, and so I choose items that take me right into my comfort zone.

Now what I prefer is definitely to be comfortable and conform to my style.

A style that has certainly changed over the years, along with age. I love wearing jeans, with a t-shirt and a blazer, with flat shoes. I feel elegant like this."

Your “strong point”?

“Definitely total denim with silver and turquoise accessories”.

The accessory that completes your look?

“I have always used large, bold earrings with character. But lately I find it hard to tear myself away from a vintage tubular knit crewneck, it dresses me up and completes every look."

A piece from this collection that you love…

“It's not easy for me to choose, I like everything. But if I must say that I am in love with two Fortela dresses in particular. The first is a short orange dress with wide sleeves, with embroidery that outlines the body. And then I really like the caftan with red and beaded inserts: I immediately imagined myself barefoot on summer evenings”.

What colors do you love?

“I love total white, but also mustard and red. I feel rooted to the ground, I look towards the light.

And yet I truly believe that there is no color or shape more powerful than intention.

I like earthy colors and I love the intention of the woman who chooses to wear Fortela.

She is a free woman. She is free from any conditioning. It doesn't need nudity. It has its own style, and the accessory to bring with it is just its character."

What makes these dresses so special?

“For me it's a nuance that has to do with behavior, with how you feel wearing them. For example, the way you walk in caftans with other Fortela clothes on.

They are all special and never banal pieces, which seem to come from different places in the world and automatically transport you to a place where the sun shines.

Whether it's the sun rising or setting, it doesn't matter: the sun is there. Always".

How would you describe your style?

“I believe I have always been a woman with her own style, I choose to be elegant and never flashy”.

Vintage: what do you collect?

“I collect objects to wear, memories that take me back to the places where I bought them. I love, for example, drinking coffee in a cup with the writing SEA from a small bar in Liguria and wearing my blue Madonnina bought in a vintage one in Tokyo".

On the road: what to pack for a summer trip?

“I don't know how to pack! It is my greatest limit, it is not only the paradox of choice, but in not being able to predict how I will feel that day. To overcome this I choose basic colors and prefer them to patterns. I try to build the case in a circular way, so that everything fits together. But most of the time something is missing..."

Interviewer: Benedetta Rossi