A former architecture student who dropped out of college in the 90s to instead work in clothes shops and go clubbing every night, Nicola Formichetti has since cut a high profile and upbeat swathe across the fashion biz as a stylist and creative director.
Formichetti’s many global projects and collaborations over the years straddle glossy magazines, pop up shops, Lady Gaga, Uniqlo, Mugler, Diesel and Brooke Candy, to name just a few. And since 2011 he has overseen his own kooky-yet-accessible fashion and lifestyle label, NICOPANDA.
Now, a freshly launched collab with make-up giant MAC sees the MAC NICOPANDA full face collection bringing non-traditional colours to the proceedings — minty green and deep plum lipsticks, for example — as well an array of dinky flower, heart and panda-shaped face stickers, ensuring many hours of mirror-gawking joy. To celebrate this new venture, i-D dragged the always-charming Mr F away from his make-up bag and bombarded him with a myriad of questions.
1. Nicola Formichetti was born in Japan on May 31st in 1977, so even though he only looks about 18 years old, the fresh-faced fashion maverick is actually in his early 40s.
2. Nicola Formichetti is fluent in Italian and Japanese, which is not surprising as his dad is Italian, his mum is Japanese and he went to school in Rome.
3. Nicola Formichetti’s best subjects at school were a mix of swotty maths and much more fun art.
4. Nicola Formichetti doesn’t have one specific bezzy mate, but says he does have: “a few that I love”.
5. Nicola Formichetti’s current most listened-to singer is the Japanese former politics student-turned popstrel/model, Rina Sawayama.
6. Nicola Formichetti doesn’t tend to watch much TV, but is an avid fan of Ab Fab and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
7. Nicola Formichetti doesn’t have any pets at the moment ,but he used to have two little Pomeranians called Tank and Bambi, whose Instagram at one point had over 5,000 followers.
8. Nicola Formichetti collects baseball caps — now owning over 200 of them — and he also has a collection of thousands of little Japanese toys.
9. Nicola Formichetti is a rather magnificent classically-trained pianist, as he revealed to i-D back in 2016 — and loves playing the compositions of Chopin, Beethoven and Philip Glass.
10. Nicola Formichetti is obsessed with Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi spectacular Bladerunner — he rates it as his all time fave film and he thinks Ridley is the best director around.
11. Nicola Formichetti’s most overused expression is, ”Yaaaas Queeen!” — the vernacular roots of which grew in the underground gay, black voguing scene of 80s New York.
14. Nicola Formichetti used to work in the cult London boutique Pineal Eye many years ago, before he was fashion-famous, and also had a brief stint of employment at one of Vivienne Westwood’s London stores — but was fired for nicking stuff!
15. Nicola Formichetti admits that “standing in front of a large crowd” is the the situation that makes him most embarrassed.
16. Nicola Formichetti’s favourite thirst quencher of all is the yoghurt flavoured soft drink Calpico.
19. Nicola Formichetti is not one for lazing around and says the best bit of today so far was, “Waking up early and jogging around Harajuku.”
20. Nicola Formichetti went for a walk yesterday around, erm, Harajuku — he clearly likes that district.
21. Nicola Formichetti last cried “on an airplane while watching a romantic comedy — the name of which I shall not mention!”
22. Nicola Formichetti can’t remember when he last fell over.
23. Nicola Formichetti recently chucked his guts up. ”A few days ago when I had food poisoning… what a mess!” he says.
24. Nicola Formichetti used to smoke but stubbed out his last ciggie in 2017: “I switched to vaping so I wouldn’t stink,” he says.
25. Nicola Formichetti’s favourite building in the world is the Ise Jingu Shrine, in Japan, which is constructed from Cypress wood and is dedicated to a sun goddess named Amaterasu — gosh!
26. Nicola Formichetti has a faff-free formula for the perfect party — you just pop to the offy and purchase “lots of tequila!’
27. Nicola Formichetti coyly declines to tell i-D something we don’t already know about his popstar pal Lady Gaga: “I can’t do that!” he winces.
28. Nicola Formichetti reckons that on a scale of 1 to 10 in the How Vain Are You? stakes, he would be a mere 4.
29. Nicola Formichetti unabashedly declares his favourite part of his body is his bushy eyebrows.
30. Nicola Formichetti is much less body-positive about his finger accessories: “I don’t like my nails,” he confirms glumly.
31. Nicola Formichetti’s most frequently looked-at website is Gaia.com, which is a rather cosmic online hotspot for all manner of consciousness evolution through meditation, yoga and mental transformation.
32. Nicola Formichetti’s most recently sent email was to his assistant, to check his travel schedule for tomorrow.
33. Nicola Formichetti’s most recently sent text message was to a friend. “I told them I’m staying in tonight, because of jet lag,” he explains while stifling a yawn.
34. Nicola Formichetti most recently read book was the rather spooky sounding, Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss, which is all about past life regression and traumas.
35. Nicola Formichetti would prefer to be cremated rather than buried when he eventually pops his clogs.
36. Nicola Formichetti clearly didn’t have time to go to the supermarket today, as there is “not much!” in his fridge apparently.
37. Nicola Formichetti’s fave instagram account is @mauriziocattelan, the Italian artist infamous for making sculptures from, erm, stuffed horses and squirrels: “He’s both crazy and amazing!” he marvels.
38. Nicola Formichetti is rarely to be seen hoovering or doing the washing up, as he has a cleaner… and not just any old cleaner: “I have the best cleaning team in the world!” he enthuses.
39. Nicola Formichetti last went swimming in the sea in December 2017, in Mexico.
40. Nicola Formichetti has officially decided that Mexico is, “Heaven on earth.”
41. Nicola Formichetti is not someone who sneers at reality TV or reality TV stars: “I find it as a whole quite fascinating and sometimes inspiring. You never know what hidden talent might surface from someone.”
42. Nicola Formichetti does his bit for the planet by regularly recycling.
43. Nicola Formichetti has this weird thing about the sound of somebody biting into an apple — he totally hates it and it freaks him out.
44. Nicola Formichetti is quite a traditional in some ways — for example, he prefers to make notes with a ye olde pen and notebook, rather than use his iPhone.
45. Nicola Formichetti’s favourite kind of biscuit is one of those hazelnut cream wafery-chocolatey things called a Kinder Bueno.
46. Nicola Formichetti’s proudest achievement so far in life is this: “I’m so grateful to be doing what I love doing everyday.”
47. Nicola Formichetti is totally cool about spending time in his own company.
48. Nicola Formichetti’s biggest regret is: “I wish I didn’t drop out of college… sorry mum!:
49. Nicola Formichetti cites Alexander McQueen as his all time favourite fashion designer: “He was a true original”.
50. Nicola Formichetti, despite his past as a club kid, admits on the scale of 1 to 10 his dancing abilities would only score a somewhat poor 4.
51. Nicola Formichetti’s ultimate fave visual artists are the 16th century painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, and the 20th century photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
52. Nicola Formichetti never ever leaves home without his vape (he favours the brand named JUUL).
53. Nicola Formichetti would travel back in time to the 18th century if such a thing was possible: “That’s when people really dressed up,” he nods approvingly.
54. Nicola Formichetti thinks ones of the saddest things of all is animal cruelty.
55. Nicola Formichetti recalls, “More is more!” as the best piece of fashion advice he was ever given.
56. Nicola Formichetti is a prolific doodler and most commonly doodles amoebas.
57. Nicola Formichetti favours showering, because: “I never have enough time for a proper bath.”
58. Nicola Formichetti would save his crystals if his New York apartment was on fire.
59. Nicola Formichetti is a very laid back chap according to those who know him: “I never, ever lose my temper,” he breezily confirms.
60. Nicola Formichetti’s all-time favourite item of clothing is a practical-rather-than-fanciful plain black tank top.
61. Nicola Formichetti enjoys tucking into a hearty portion of Korean barbecued fare.
62. Nicola Formichetti is not necessarily the most accomplished cook but can rustle up some pasta.
63. Nicola Formichetti does not eat cheese.
64. Nicola Formichetti doesn’t own any pyjamas and usually sleeps in his undies.
65. Nicola Formichetti feels the following three words most accurately describe himself: “Easy going, optimistic and spontaneous.”
66. Nicola Formichetti is living proof that you are never too old to incur parental disapproval: “Every time I wear ripped jeans my mum goes crazy…”
67. Nicola Formichetti was given the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at the British Fashion Awards in 2010.
68. Nicola Formichetti says the best club night he ever went to was Trade, London’s first Techno-notorious mind-warping legal all-nighter, back in the ’90s: “It was so good, I can’t remember anything!” he chuckles.
69. Nicola Formichetti has never encountered a poltergeist.
70. Nicola Formichetti hopes to be “retired, on an island” in five years time from now.
71. Nicola Formichetti’s ultimate style icons are: “David Bowie and my mum.”
72. Nicola Formichetti is not one for toast and jam and a cuppa, preferring to start the day with a much more healthy Japanese breakfast of fish, rice and miso soup.
73. Nicola Formichetti has never broken any of his bones.
74. Nicola Formichetti believes that if Friday was a colour it would probably be a big friendly rainbow.
75. Nicola Formichetti likes jogging and stints in the gym, but is not very good at yoga.
76. Nicola Formichetti’s favourite time of the day is sunrise.
77. Nicola Formichetti insists the first thing he would do if he was prime minister or president would be to ensure equal rights for all.
78. Nicola Formichetti is not a huge sports-playing enthusiast, but modestly admits to being “quite good at ping pong”.
79. Nicola Formichetti is “way too shy” to have ever asked anyone famous for their autograph.
80. Nicola Formichetti is, thankfully, not one of those people who insists on telling you what they dreamt last night: “I never remember my dreams…” he deadpans.
81. Nicola Formichetti’s most-admired actor of all is that handsome chappy Alex Pettyfer because, “He is beautiful inside and out.”
82. Nicola Formichetti secretly picks his nose when no one is looking, like most of us do, and — as the mucky pup controversially elaborates — he sometimes goes even further: “Pick it, lick it, roll it, flick it!”
83. Nicola Formichetti’s formula for successful hair is this: “I keep it short so I don’t have to deal with a bad hair day.”
84. Nicola Formichetti’s favourite swearing expression is “WTF?”
85. Nicola Formichetti is adamant that everything he has told i-D today is: “The whole truth and nothing but the truth.”