Patrizia Belsito was lucky enough to grow up in an artistic family, where her creative drive was constantly stimulated. But what really motivated her to become a fashion designer was her struggle to find clothes she really loved. So she decided to take matters into her own hands and design them herself.

Her first fashion design attempt was to create a skirt that was a similar to the design of a friend’s skirt She said to herself, “‘It can’t be impossible,” so she found fabric and with absolutely no experience, cut and sewed it by hand. To her delight, that first design was a success! Actually, it worked so well that she still has her first creation.

This courageous attempt at designing clothes is what she would recommend to all aspiring designers. “Forget beautiful drawings, and get fabric and scissors to show who you really are!” She feels the toughest obstacle in becoming a fashion designer is finding shop owners who believe in your style of design.

When creating from a studio inside her home in Verona, Italy, she has found that the most important thing to her when designing clothes is the cut. She carefully studies the cut of each piece of a design, and her skill often enables her to construct a garment with a few basic seams.

Patrizia draws inspiration from everything that surrounds her – people on the streets, magazines, shops and art. “But to be honest, my first inspiration is myself: I …design only clothes I would wear, stuff that fits my body and my personality.”

She would like to dress Uma Thurman and describes her clothing designs as oddly elegant. “My uncommon cuts, my unconventional use of fabrics and details are never ‘smashing;’ that’s the reason why, I think, I’m loved also by a not-too-young parterre.”

Patrizia prefers to shop online and her fashion addiction is shoes – the only thing she doesn’t design. She would like to see a return to the year-round use of hats and gloves. She also thinks that every woman should have a black tee shirt in her closet, along with one of her egg-dresses. Patrizia Belsito’s design portfolio, which includes menswear, accessories and scarves, can be found on UsTrendy.com. Page through her “dress for success” collection, where you’ll see myriad examples of her extraordinary versatility and individuality.