Shop Like a Fashion Insider: Carla Sozzani

In 1991, Carla Sozzani took over a former garage at 10 Corso Como in an industrial neighborhood of Milan, and filled it with all the things she loved–from hard-to-find avant-garde fashion labels to ceramics, books, and photography. She thought of the space as a sort of “living magazine,” where people could shop or just linger and browse (in fact she had just been fired from Italian Elle and her sister, the late Franca Sozzani, would run Italian Vogue until her death in 2016). While the 10 Corso Como concept has been widely copied, Sozzani’s inimitable style is another thing altogether. Here she talks to The RealReal about her favorite designers, her endless hunt for the perfect men’s cardigan, and her biggest consignment score ever.  

What are your three favorite brands/designers?
The triptych I love, in alphabetical order: Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Maison Margiela.

Three pieces in your closet you never tire of? 
A white shirt.  Black pair of pants. A black Plume bag. 

What is your Milan fashion week uniform?
White shirt, a skirt, a classic men’s cardigan.  

What’s the greatest thing about buying consignment?
Sustainability. 

What was your most exciting consignment find?
A coat by Alaïa of the ’60s, with the label hand painted by his partner, the artist Christoph von Weyhe.

What pieces are you looking for now?
Simple classic men’s cardigans—they seem to have disappeared.

Is there a certain brand/collection that you’re currently coveting?
Always browsing my triptych… in case I missed something and I did!

Have consignment sites like The RealReal changed the way you think about shopping? If so, how?
The pleasure of research, the excitement of findings … is like going to the flea markets without getting up at 5 am… such an important part of my youth…and of always.

Shop Carla’s edit and your own consignment finds at The RealReal.