Sri Lankan-Italian designer Andrea Brocca’s graduate collection had the world’s fashion press swooning over him. Awarded the title of the World’s Youngest Couturier by Guinness World Records, the prodigy who dressed Lady Gaga for the cover of Billboard magazine speaks exclusively to Features Editor, Tina Edward Gunawardhana on his meteoric rise in the fashion world
WORDS: Tina Edward Gunawardhana
With the fashion world at his feet, the world’s youngest couturier, a title made official by Guinness World Records when he was 16, Andrea Brocca is dressing celebrities like Lady Gaga one day and Jourdan Dunn the next day. His highly structured silhouettes are all showstoppers and ooze high craftsmanship. He confesses that although he has never visited Sri Lanka yet, his maternal Sri Lankan heritage plays a significant role in his creativity. At 26, Andrea already has 13 years of experience in the industry and is now set to soar to unprecedented heights. With his highly acclaimed graduate collection a resounding success, Andrea looks set to eclipse the likes of Alexander McQueen to whom he is equalled to in talent.
What is your earliest memory of fashion?
When I was a child, I remember noticing all the Chanel beauty products my mother used to buy. Going through her wardrobe as a child was a visual feast of glamour. It was my first time being introduced to the notion of a brand. This lead me to research into accessories; bags and shoes, as my mother collected so many interesting things.
Your mum is Sri Lankan. How much of a fashion influence is she in your design life?
She’s a monumental influence in my life, she is the reason I love fashion. Her glamorous character and aura was a big inspiration to me, because she held herself with such dignity. She showed me how powerful women are.
Where does your interest in fashion stem from?
I was first in love with anime and Disney cartoons, especially Sailor Moon, so I would draw them a lot. At the age of 8, I started becoming really obsessed with fashion because of my mother’s influence and teachings. She is a woman of great style and glamour.
What attracted you to this vocation?
Loving beauty and wanting to empower women.
How would you describe your creative ethos?
Instinctive!
You studied at Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and Central Saint Martins. How did these experiences shape your design aesthetic?
Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale gave me the fundamental haute couture techniques that are the backbone of Parisian couture, whilst Central Saint Martins taught me how to creatively think out of the box as well as being put in a room with the most competitive young creatives in the industry.
