“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring” from Marilyn Monroe is an important quote to me because it reminds me that being true to myself is essential.

Who am I? I’m Livia Smolizza from Franklin Square, NY. I think that because I live on Long Island I fully appreciate the bright lights and tall buildings of New York City because where I live we don’t have many bright lights.

I get my fashion inspirations from old movies such as: Pillow Talk and How To Marry A Millionaire. I like black and white movies because they give me the opportunity to create with bold colors..

Painting is another one of my passions. I love painting landscapes and have just begun painting figures in my work. After taking a photography class at FIT I have started to paint my own original photos applying the techniques of great artists such as Monet and Van Gogh. My Van Gogh rendition was selected this fall to be apart of the Manhasset Public Library Art Gallery exhibit “Flowers.”

I love creating, whether it is fashion designs, making patterns, sewing original designs and painting. This spring I am enrolled in Jewelry Design: Wire Forming and Beaded Techniques I look forward to creating my first jewelry piece.

Look for my future posts to learn more about my work and me.

-Livia