Diego Binetti on the runway Fall 2002
Photo by Gruber-FWD
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Fall 2002
Photo by Gruber-FWD

Spring 2002
Photo by Dan Herrick-FWD

Dec 16, 2001/ FWD/ --- Designer Diego Binetti can't stop laughing - much to his own dismay. "My face says 'Stop! You make me wrinkle!' but can't help it," he says, gleefully screwing up his amazingly flexible face. And despite having had to cancel his debut collection because of the September 11 attacks, Binetti, 28, has every reason to laugh these days.

Since introducing his clothing line, Binetti, this year, the former design director of Jill Stuart has gotten good response from buyers and editors alike. His cheeky, romantic clothes and accessories have found their way into glossies like W, and onto the racks at boutiques in New York, Los Angeles and department stores in Japan.

"It reflects who I am," Binetti says of his designs: fun, flirty, and intensely fashion savvy. Think a silk, asymmetric cut summer dress with Japanese floral prints; girlish crochet knits; small car-print hot pants and string bikinis in what Binetti calls "the little people" Liberty print.

For the more mature woman, Binetti has whipped up cotton jackets with details like flower buttons and wide-legged trousers in a rich chocolate.

"I love to mix fabrics and color - color makes people happy," he explains. "And I love the romanticism of a woman. I appreciate that in a woman and I want to give it to a woman. Women are so pretty," Binetti elaborates, scrunching up his face again. "They're like a rose."

Binetti's love for women's clothes is a genetic trait. Born to Italian parents in Buenos Aires, the designer grew up watching his mother, who worked for a bridal house, making "dresses and gowns for the ladies to go to galas." He also learned the trade from his uncle, a tailor. Binetti's family later moved to Florida, where he studied at the International Fine Arts College in Miami.

In 1995 Binetti moved to Milan to "see my culture," as he says. There he attended the Instituto Artistico Dell' Abbigliamento Maragoni and also worked as a stylist on photo shoots. After two years in Italy, Binetti came to New York, worked with stylist Brana Wolf and then took the job at Jill Stuart.

"I learned so much, especially working with good fabrics," says Binetti, who also created Bulgari's Logomania look. "I had a great time - but four years ... it's time to move on, you know?" he adds with a shrug.

When talking about having his own line, Binetti admits that he hates "the dealing, the hassling, but it's part of life. I'm not going to give up easily. I'd like to be around - not for the fame, but for the fun of it."

He's had a lot of fun working on the Fall 2002 collection, he says, though he stays mum about the details. After some pressing, he admits to working with new prints as well as "new techniques I haven't done before. It's going to be a surprise," he insists, quickly adding an enthusiastic "it's really cute."

Binetti has plans to expand his empire of cute, branching out to the men's and children's clothing markets and creating a lifestyle brand. "The new generation is like that - fashion is related to music, fashion is related to food and architecture," he explains.

But before he delights men and kids, there's one more thing Binetti needs to take care of: women's shoes.

"I love women's shoes," he exclaims, hugging himself as if to contain his enthusiasm. "It's so sexy. After a night out, after a woman takes off her dress and everything, it's just the shoes. I love it."