Park life with the Medea sisters

Meet the twin sisters (and their dog, Fofo) bringing an artistic edge to the world of accessories.

Words: Chekii Harling

The Medea sisters in the park with their dog, Fofo

Famed for their fashion-meets-art accessories, Italian-born, Milan-based sisters Giulia and Camilla Venturini have been building their standout brand, Medea, since 2015. We caught up with them via video call while they walked their dog, Fofo, to talk about what they’ve been up to recently, the influence of art and film on their work, and why they’re fascinated with witches’ noses.

How has being with each other 24/7 changed the way you work together?

It has a been a very creative quarantine so far, but we had to be stricter about building a daily work schedule to make sure we have our own space. It’s been good to break the pattern of work and to source materials and colours for the next collection. This period has also given us the opportunity to dive deep into references and to rethink elements of the brand.

What’s your current morning routine?

Every morning, we have a workout session over the phone with our best friend Sofia, whether it be Tai Chi, cardio or meditation. Then comes a quick breakfast ‘all’italiana’ – cappuccino, croissant and orange juice. Walking our dog, Fofo, is the best way for us to take time out from our home and studio environments. Normally, it’s important to us to travel, meet people, hang out with our friends, dance and see art; we are not ‘studio rats’. [Now,] we’ve set up a little studio on the balcony of our apartment where we hang our inspirations for the upcoming collections. This is our little treehouse where we disconnect and really focus on Medea.

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Snapshots of Giulia and Camilla Venturini walking Fofo in Milan

What does the rest of the day look like?
At lunch, we take a break to cook, and then we look at books we have collected throughout the years, screenshot movies, listen to music and write down new ideas. We also like to FaceTime friends during the process of creating; we have a nice community around us that supports us and the brand. At night-time, we discover new movies – we’ve been watching a lot of Fellini [recently]. We feel very connected to his visual aesthetic: the costumes, locations and the casting in his films are incredible.

What was your childhood like together?

We grew up in a small town by Lake Garda in Italy, playing in fields from morning until evening with other kids and animals. The lack of electronics shaped our characters; we were adventurous kids who built imaginary houses in rivers.

Since we were small kids, we’ve wanted to do something together…. When we turned 30, we thought, “OK, it’s now or never”.

– Medea sisters

Where did the idea to start a brand together come from?

Since we were small kids, we’ve always wanted to do something together, but living in two different continents [America and Europe] for nearly a decade made it impossible. When we turned 30, we thought, “OK, it’s now or never”.

What is your design process?

We always start from images, creating collages rather than drawing. Our inspiration rarely comes from fashion or trends – we like to think of our bags as iconic design objects, and we think of new ways to push customisation ideas further. Our team of producers in Verona helps us to make our ideas and dreams come true.

The Medea sisters in their studio

Camilla Venturini’s picks for dog walking in style

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What do you believe are the Medea design signatures?

Our Medea Prima, the classic shopping bag in calfskin with the small embossed silver logo, is definitely our most iconic piece. We like to think that the pieces [designed] in collaboration with artists will become recognisable while [also] becoming part of the art catalogue we are building for the brand.

You named the brand after Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1969 film Medea. What is it about the film that inspired you to do so?

Pier Paolo Pasolini is kind of our muse, our spiritual guide and our guardian angel. We are inspired by his life, movies and poetry, and feel very close to him. The film Medea is a masterpiece; it stars Maria Callas as [the titular character] Medea, who supports a mythological figure in a unique and extraordinary way.

We get very excited to see how our creative circle interprets the idea of Medea – it brings new forms and shapes to the brand.

– Medea sisters

What’s Medea Music?

It’s a platform we created where we upload curated playlists that were made especially for Medea – these can be accessed via our website, Spotify, and Apple Music. We’ve featured Daft Punk, Dev Hynes, Virgil Abloh, Isamaya Ffrench and many more. It’s good music for our friends and family that creates positive vibes.

Where does your love of art come from?

We both worked in art and photography before starting Medea; it’s ingrained in our background.

Giulia Venturini’s dog-walking wardrobe picks

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You’ve previously collaborated with Nan Goldin. Why was this pairing a good fit for Medea?

Nan Goldin created vivid portraits of individuals in her community – individuals who were often repressed by a heteronormative society. Created during moments of intimacy, these candid images serve to memorialise a subculture. The bags printed with Goldin’s confidantes and muses are a celebration of these figures who exceed boundaries. Their strength and sensual provocation mirror Medea’s.

Childhood photographs of Giulia and Camilla Venturini / Medea campaign imagery featuring signature witch noses

Medea has also created a Judith Bernstein capsule collection. What do you like about her work?

Judith Bernstein is a New York-based artist who first started making politically motivated art in the 1970s. Affiliated with the anti-war art movement, she utilised charcoal to scale up words and images onto paper, and many of her works depicted symbols of aggression loaded through perceived masculinity. [The writer] Cindy Nemser nominated Bernstein’s work for inclusion in the exhibition ‘Women’s Work – American Art 1974’ at the Philadelphia Civic Center. But, much to the surprise of Bernstein and her fellow participating artists, it was deemed lacking in ‘social value’. The suppression of the work makes the celebration of Bernstein all the more important, and we are so pleased to distribute her work in a different form, half a [century] later.

Witchy noses have become a feature in your campaign imagery – what is your thinking behind this?

We are obsessed with strong, disruptive female figures, like witches.

Fofo never misses an opportunity to be photographed.

– Medea sisters

Which artists would you love to collaborate with in the future and why?

We don’t want to spoil the next collaborations. We are following a precise curatorial direction, but we’re also ready to surprise our
followers.... Stay tuned.

Who’s in your creative circle and what do they bring to your work?

Make-up artist legend Isamaya Ffrench, musicians like Dev Hynes, model and artist Jess Maybury, designers Laura and Deanna Fanning.… We feel lucky to have collaborated with such amazing talents. We get very excited to see how our creative circle interprets the idea of Medea – it brings new forms and shapes to the brand.

The Medea sisters in the park with their dog, Fofo

Your dog, Fofo, has modelled for you – can you tell us a bit more about him?

He is a two-year-old Norfolk Terrier. We share him with our best friend Giacomo. Fofo follows us everywhere, and he is a real character. We often take him on set – Fofo never misses an opportunity to be photographed.