A CONVERSATION WITH DESIGNER ILARIA NORSA
Ilaria Norsa
Belted accessories for late night lovers. Made in Italy, genderless, seasonless, and designed for dancing with your hands free.
She launched a belt brand dedicated to nightlife lovers in February 2020, weeks before the world shut down. Maneskin wore INAN on an album cover. The Erotica party is a cult. The belts have pockets for dancing hands-free. Ilaria Norsa is right on time.
There is something I love about the Italians who move to Ibiza. The ones looking for that quality of living in a more holistic way. The ones who give back to the island, who are part of its ecosystem year-round, not just there to enjoy it.
Ilaria Norsa was born and raised in Milan, spent fifteen years working as a fashion stylist and consultant, and moved to Ibiza in 2013. In 2020 she co-founded INAN Studio with her business partner Giulia Tavani. The timing was spectacularly bad and, as it turned out, completely right. Launching a belt brand for nightlife lovers right before the pandemic gave them the space to think without the noise to build with their own rules, their own values, their own timeline. Their products are genderless, seasonless, and made entirely in Florence. Most models have pockets designed to hold your phone and your keys. The whole point is to be able to dance with your hands free.
Maneskin wore INAN belts on the cover of their last album. The Erotica party, which INAN co-organizes with Carnale and Paolov in Milan, has become a cult event. The National Chamber of Fashion included them in the official presentation calendar. The belts have their own logic: the hardware is all signature, all handmade, all produced in Italy. No shortcuts. No fast anything.
"In a system ruled by fast fashion, we trust that owning a special piece that can last forever and can be worn over and over, adding a touch of boldness to any outfit, is priceless."
Ilaria Norsa · INAN Studio
What are your greatest inspirations and influences?
Our belts are inspired by nightlife, underground music and tribal punk culture. I personally find inspiration everywhere. My background in art history is a source of inspiration, together with my everlasting passion for music icons and fashion and photography.
Tell us about your creative process.
Research is part of my daily routine: through Instagram, magazines, flea markets, art exhibitions, vintage archives, books, dead end stocks, underground culture and the fashion world in general. INAN products are seasonless. We don't have to follow a strict calendar when it comes to creating and presenting new collections. We design with a timeless concept in mind. Giulia and I are constantly sharing and developing our creative ideas together, and we never struggle to come up with new designs. The most challenging part of the creative process has to do mostly with the signature hardware we create for our belts, which together with the design makes them unique.
How has this year changed your creativity?
This year I personally worked harder than ever. Which wasn't exactly in my plans but at least it kept me busy. As f***. We started the company in February 2020, right before the pandemic. Not the best time to present belts mainly inspired and dedicated to nightlife lovers, but this challenging situation gave us the opportunity to re-think the ordinary scheme, positioning ourselves as a project with our own rules and values.
Who do you consider to be an icon of our time?
I have way too many to name just one. Considering that I am Italian, I think Maneskin are impressive. They rocked our belts on the cover of their last album.
Do you think the fashion world needs to change, and if so how?
Fashion needs to keep moving forward towards more sustainable processes and schemes. We believe in the value of Made in Italy craftsmanship and that modern luxury is underpinned by ethical and sustainable practices. Our production processes are artisanal and respect the environment. Our products are genderless, seasonless and timeless. We also chose to develop vegan leather options to promote environmental and animal rights consciousness and look forward to launching an upcycled collection drop, recycling dead stock materials. We strongly believe fashion should stand for inclusivity. And we do our best to promote this.
What does wellbeing mean to you?
Getting enough sleep. Paying attention to what I eat. Exercising regularly. Being in love. Playing with my dog. Having lots of good laughs. Spending as much time as possible surrounded by nature. The only thing missing for my wellbeing right now is a good dance.
There is something I love about the Italians who move to Ibiza. The ones that are looking for that lifestyle, to truly enjoy quality of living in a more deep holistic way. The ones that live there year-round are part of the ecosystem that gives back to the island. Not there just to enjoy it. Ilaria is one of those people.
We have been a part of this change, using social media to expose the works of some of the most inspiring artists in the world and putting you, the reader, in touch with them directly. There is no need for only a few people in a flawed system to dictate what artists can and cannot be exposed to. Today it is more important than ever to preserve the artist's perspective. Because artists are. ✦
