Favorite restaurant and what to order?  

I’m currently living a nomadic life, jumping around Bangkok, London, Paris, Milan, and Florence… Where I feel in my nest is Florence. Once I arrive, I go running straight to Cibrèo Caffè. It’s in the heart of old Florence, in the Santa Croce area and at the headquarters of the fresh market of Sant’Ambrogio. In the morning, I love eating a panino con lo sgombro (sandwich with mackerel), a soft, fresh, homemade roll topped with mackerel drowned in Nonna-style mayonnaise. Hint: don’t wear white if you are as clumsy as me!

I also crave their braciole alla livornese, soft veal cooked in a freshly made, cold pomodoro sauce from the traditional tomato from Tuscany–il fiorentino. It’s impossible to feel lonely at Cibrèo because there is a vital energy that comes from the colors, sounds, taste, and gossip of the neighborhood locals.

Your favorite Italian weekend getaway?

In the arms of my great grandfather, Gio Ponti, at Hotel Parco dei Principi in Sorrento. I walk barefoot on the blue kaleidoscopic tiles towards the balcony of my room, where I am suspended over the sea. I wrap myself in the endless blue and I can practically touch the seagulls as I look towards Mount Vesuvius right in front of me. Then, I go into the wild! I throw my phone away, take a deep breath of energy, and reconnect with nature.

Who’s your inspiration / favorite Italian designer (or artist, architect, painter, photographer)?

The legendary archi–star Gio Ponti. The grand director of movies Roberto Rossellini, who created Italian neorealist cinema. The sign of the Mediterranean through the brush of Mimmo Palladino.