In her signature round tortoiseshell glasses, Stefania is a touch of Phoebe Philo (uber-classic with a twist) and a ’90s Meg Ryan (quirky, natural, effortlessly well-dressed, and precisely unkempt). I have yet to see someone sport designer and “homeless” as well as Stefania, exemplified by her Fruit of the Loom sweatshirt and Marni skirt, her belted oversized L.L. Bean vintage tweed blazer with Prada and her herringbone textile arm candy topped off by a chunky Rolex watch. However, the coup de grace for me is her Amish skirt covered in splattered paint – I don’t think you could dream up anything better for an Italian runway. A lover of how communication creates ideas – a girl after my heart and SLU ideal – Stefania founded a magazine in her native country that was free and all about “contemporary life, cool people, cool food and new ways to to see the future.” The name was “Pelle, No Leather” or “Skin, No Leather”, meant to be a reflection of the purity of experience when you gather a community of artists. The name of her publication reminds me of the way that Stefania sees everything related to nature and honors its perfection, like her current attachment to the conch shell necklace that she wears around her neck. However, Stefania’s magazine was simply a step in her evolution. She decided to stop everything and get “some new air in her brain” by moving to New York, where she now feels she has more freedom to express herself without being judged. Stefania adores Fellini’s wife, Giulietta Masina, but I also see a strong channeling of Kelly McGillis in Witness.

Visit Stefania’s website and blog

If you like Stefania, you may also like India Salvor Menuez, Ally McCormack, Alessandra Calabai and Angela Grossi .