As Reported by Sally Kilbridge

Take a thousand girlish fantasies, add a dash of badass style, and you have an Elisabetta Polignano collection. Putting it together is visionary designer Polignano and her husband, general manager Dario Mongioy. While sequestered in early April during the coronavirus crisis, The Putignano, Italy-based duo spoke to us about how they work together and keep the dream going.

Bridal Council: What was it that attracted you to each other when you first met?

Dario: It was just before going into a rock concert in Milan. Our eyes met, and although I had tickets for me and another girl, as I saw her I wished I were taking her instead.

Elisabetta: As soon as I met him I found him to be a very nice guy. Then, when I heard that he was the leader of a rock band and I started following the dates of his tour, I found a romantic man inside a rough and outrageous front man.

BC: How did you decide to start working together?

Dario: Things just happened. Elisabetta was going to start her business and she was on her own so I tried to help her and I found everything to be very interesting and exciting. I felt I could give a good support to her talent.

Elisabetta: He is very serious and precise and back then I needed someone like him, who can put ambition and sensibility together.

BC: Do you find it difficult to separate your business and personal life?

Dario: No, personal life and business are two sides of the same coin.

Elisabetta: We often exchange our ideas about work.

Dario: She speaks about the new trend of her new collections and I suggest how to present it …

Elisabetta: We are lucky because we love our business and it’s beautiful sharing it with each other

BC: What is the most valuable thing about being married to your business partner?

Dario: Knowing each other in the most authentic way, without secrets.

Elisabetta: We can share everything because we both like the arts, music, and traveling.

BC: You’re about to celebrate your 20th wedding anniversary. Do you have any big plans?

Dario: I didn’t realize it….it will be next year! I hope we will all get back to a normal situation as soon as possible [after the coronavirus cirisis] and since we love traveling, it would be nice if we could take another dream trip.

Elisabetta: He always surprises me, I’m sure he will do it this time too.  

BC: Dario, do you ever find it difficult to work in a business with such a feminine point of view?

Dario: No, it never felt like this. I have always been interested in fashion and trying not to dress the same way as others. For me it is a way to search for beauty.

BC: Elisabetta, where do you get your inspiration?

Elisabetta: Inspirations are everywhere. Each situation can be the spark that induces a creative process. It could be a book, a poem, a piece of theater, a trip, a painting, or the combination of all those things together seen through the subconscious …

BC: What happens when you disagree about something? Do you have a method for reaching a compromise?

Dario: We take care of different aspects of this business and we both feel free to do things our way, but we also try to take into account the other’s opinion.

Elisabetta: We make all decisions together in relation to each other.

BC: Can you describe a typical workday for each of you?

Elisabetta: Work, work, work! I always look for new design solutions and keep reaching for perfection.

Dario: One of the most important goals of my job is to make Elisabetta feel as free as possible to create, to prepare her dresses, to focus on the fittings with the brides, and many other things. I always try to make sure there are no problems so she can freely concentrate on her job.

BC: What is the best part about working together? What is the most difficult thing?

Elisabetta: Dario is the best partner you could have, both in life and in business. He is the one who listens to me and best understands what I really mean, and in the end he can find exactly what I need for my job. They say I’m a rock designer, so maybe we can say we are a magic duo as Lennon - McCartney or Jagger - Richards.

Dario: First of all, she is wonderful, so simple and humble. She makes everything funny and exciting — she’s like a child discovering the world. And she has great talent, strength, and willpower. Everything is exciting with her. The most difficult thing is the fact that, since she always reaches for perfection, she expects the same from me, too.