Davide Giliberti - Fashionfad

Adjectives fall short to define Davide Giliberti from Italy. A well traversed and erudite artist by soul and a model by façade, Davide has satchel full of dreams and a vision to fulfill them. Having walked for almost every big name in the world of fashion, Davide found Roberto Cavalli appealing to his aesthetic senses most.

So without diluting the ‘Davide Giliberti effect’, we let the model speak his life himself.

Tell us briefly about your formative years and academics?

Well, since when I was child I grew up in a family where they taught me, “The culture makes us free”. So after the high school I decided to study in deep the economic and scientific theories attending the college and obtaining after many sacrifices the graduation degree in industrial engineering of logistic management and production. At the same time I brought forward my passion for the acting by attending a drama workshop first in my city(in the south of Italy)and then in Rome and Milano and then studying it deeply in Mexico.

How you bumped into your first assignment? How it changed your life?

Now if I think about it, I laugh because a friend of mine called me to watch a fashion show and there I met a professional model who invited me to work in another fashion show one week later. A few months later I was discovered by the manager of the designer Rocco Barocco

What did you aspire to become as kid?

A big manager and later may be a famous actor.

Modeling comes with a short shelf life so where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?

May be still a big manager or a famous actor…..(laughs). Well jokes aside, I really want to say that over the time I have learned to not think so much forward in the time but I can not deny that I like to imagine myself as a famous actor involved in my economic affairs like a perfect business man. If you think about it, for a model also the physical aspect is a business that needs to be managed..

In this female dominated industry, where do you find male models standing?

This is an interesting question. To be honest, I see less competition among men models than among women ones. Maybe because there is less work for men and it’s very difficult to become successful, so when a male model starts his career he knows that he needs to think also about another work to do so over the years he will choose for modeling like a second job or like a job that will later allow him to exploit many public relations that he has. In a vision more global I think that more and more designers are changing and devoting own production to a man who is part of a society of the third millennium, where beauty is becoming a value, a man who wants to appear charming and elegant at the same time without neglecting the comfort and dynamism, a very versatile man who takes great care of the details of his look both at work and in leisure.

Where do you see yourself in this cut throat competitive industry? What’s your success mantra?

I live my life of model in a easy way just because I like to travel, to meet new people and to have new experience. I don’t care about the competition because above all when I’m abroad I try always to get the best that the place can give me. I think that I still don’t know the success mantra because I am not famous…..(smiles),seriously it is in sharing all the big things in smaller and simple things and to be always humble and professional even when you are working with no budget. We need to put always love and passion in everything we make.

What’s your take on drug abuse and suicides which are so prevalent in the modeling industry?

The drug use is closely related to a weak (even a little ‘"cowardly") momentary illusion of being able to transgress a reality that we try to avoid or do not recognize as a problem and frustrating. So people with different problems but with the same dissatisfaction try to share the same evasion. In this way it is even easier to not take the responsibilities of our own actions, with the resulting physical damage and the loss of the will to assert their individuality. Of course everything is originated by a bad relationship with oneself.

Anyways I can say certainly that in other working environments there is the same Phenomenon but in the modeling industry everything is amplified so it appears bigger. When you work like a model it is not simple and above all when you model for the first time you are managed by a booker who looks you like a product because you really are a product in a big market, so he often tells to you what are the requests of the client. If your affairs go well, you go so fast up and if they don’t, you go equally so fast down. Then you try to change your look, your body your hair, maybe you understand later that it was better before than you changed. So if you don’t really love yourself, you risk to forget that you’re a human and to lose the contact with yourself cause of dissatisfaction, that’s why the suicide could be one more consequence of a bad relationship with ourselves. I think that if you want to be a model you need to have a very strong personality and you need to think you are unique in your gender trying always to show your qualities even if they don’t look like the best ones rather than do what others do.

Which designers have you worked with nationally and internationally? Whom do you find appealing your aesthetic senses most?

I started my career thanks to Rocco Barocco. Then I worked in fashion shows, campains and editorials for Giorgio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, John Richmond, Gianfranco Ferrè, Dolce Gabbana, Romeo Gigli, Jean Paul Gaultierre, Etro, Salvatore Ferragamo, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Diesel, Moncler, Roberto Cavalli. I think that each one of them is a leader in something. For example, Armani for the suit, Cavalli for the T Shirt, Ferragamo for the shoes but the style in which I identify myself most certainly is the one of Roberto Cavalli because it is extravagant and elegant at the same time.

Which other projects have you graced with your presence?

I’m trying to assert myself like an actor so in February you can see my next movie “The Borderline”at cinemas in Italy, Spain and France. Last year, I debuted in theatre and I was present in an Italian fiction.

How is Indian Modeling Industry different than rest of the world? How has been your experience here?

To speak about Indian Modeling Industry we need to divide the argument in two Realities; the traditional Indian style and the modern globalized one(the western one). In the first one, I think India is leader for fabric used like silk and cashmere and for the craftsmanship used and the search for patterns famous in all part of the world, as example the Indian scarves are very valuable in the western market. I think that Indian companies should focus their attention on strengthening of this aspect. About the globalized market, it’s in development, the best way to increase this market is to combine Western experience with something reminiscent of the typical Indian style, trying to maintain always the harmony of the components when the designer creates a look with. A good point of start might be to devote more attention to the care of the details, as well as for the accessories (tie, belt, watch, briefcase) or for shoes. A nice tie on a white simple shirt is more fashionable than a nice shirt with a ugly tie. My experience here is going very well, I worked for prestigious Magazines like GQ, Vogue, Man’s Wealth, Man as much as for pretigious designers and photographers. Thanks to whom today my image is in every part of the India. I remember for example when I worked for Levi’s Asian campaign I was impressed by the professionalism and competitiveness of the photographer Bharat Sikka. During the shooting he never bothered to use a tripod or about the lights. He seemed to have memorized everything in his brain to capture the soul of the picture with a perfect

synchrony. Even in New York I’ve never seen anything like it.

How is Davide as a person? What does he like to do when not modeling?

Davide is a very simple man who loves family, children and animals. He is a humble and sensitive person who doesn’t like injustice, oppression, and lies. He thinks that to be happy in the life we need to put love and passion in everything we are doing and in the dealings with people who are part of our life. When I used to live in Italy obviously I tried to dedicate myself to my family, friends and to my little dog Spenk who is my life. I like the scent of the sea and the contact with it, so I often go to walk or run on beach to walk on. I love to read and listen music in fact one of my dreams is to create a musical disco label. When I have free time I try to write poems or to paint but my paintings need to be interpreted because they are very bad…….(laughs)

Which is the most cherished moment in your modeling career?

The most cherished moment in my career but is not connected with a success, because success is something that today is there and tomorrow goes away. I tie it at the moment when I found the courage to leave my job as an engineer to devote myself to what I really wanted that is the artistic career.

What’s your beauty and fitness regime?

I’m lucky because I had a passion for the sports since when I was child. I was an ex professional player of water polo so this thing helped me to grow up in a good healthy lifestyle and in my eating habits for example, I don’t smoke and I try to avoid fat food harmful for the liver but never I’m severe with myself because I’m not a robot. So many times I prefer a delicious chocolate cake rather than chicken breast. Actually, I go to gym four times in a week and when I train my self I always alternate weight training with cardio one but many times a relaxing massage is better than going to the gym.

What’s your style statement?

What makes the style unique is the harmony so I like to dress the casual look or the way I Feel maybe with a jeans and a particular t-shirt or some particular accessory like an hat or some strange shoes. It’s not important what you dress but how you combine it.

QUICK SNIPPET

FAVORITE FOOD: Pizza,Tacos, Malai Murgh Tikka.

FAVORITE PERFUME: Acqua di Gio Giorgio Armani.

FAVORITE INTIMATE WEAR BRAND: Emporio Armani

FAVORITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Positano;Playa del Carmen;Goa

FAVORITE MOVIE: La dolce vita(the sweet life)of Federico Fellini;The Millionaire

FAVORITE BOOK: The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

THING YOU ARE ADDICTED TO: My Lambretta Scooter

YOU ARE SCARED OF: Hypocrisy

MUSIC YOU LOVE TO LISTEN: You wanna be Americano and Jai ho (A.R. Rahman and Gulzar)