What do you do when you're not blogging? What is your job?

Ale: I work in animation, both as a character animator and storyboard artist, it was my dream job when I was a little girl and still is. I'm also a children's book illustrator, so I basically draw all the time! Sometimes I teach at the Film Institute and I'm no doubt the best cat-sitter on the planet!

How did you come up with your blog name?

Ale: Rosaspina (equivalent of Briar Rose) is the main female character in Sleeping Beauty, the very first animated movie I saw, which was crucial for my life, not to mention that it's a true art masterpiece. Rosaspina is also the name of a vintage boutique that appears in my first short film 'Marla'.

Whose style, past or present, influences your style?

Ale: I love the natural elegance of the 40s and 50s and the fun patterns of the 60s.

What is your fantasy splurge?

Ale: Oh my! I wish I could enter the Orla Kiely store in London and come back home with two huge bags full of my favorite things :) Right now I'm swooning over a 40s inspired black frock, it's from her pre-spring collection, so simple and ladylike.

What label(s)/store(s) do you favor?

Ale: I think you might have guessed it already from the answer above :) I also adore Tba, Lazzari, Licia Florio, Sessun, Vivetta, and I'm always happy to support independent labels, like sweet Nadinoo and Mrs Pomeranz.

What inspires you?

Ale: Everything I see inspires me in some way really, it can be a photograph of my mom in the 60s, an old lady at the post office, a painting, a schoolgirl uniform or a documentary about World War II. I am deeply enchanted by women of the past anyway, they were effortlessly elegant and so stylish!

In your opinion, every woman should own:

Ale: A dress that makes her feel gorgeous, a pair of perfect jeans that make her feel confident, a pair of chunky heels to walk comfortably all day and a red lipstick to brighten up her dullest days!

4 things you can't live without:

Ale: Tea, definitely. Then I'd say my Ebony sketching pencil, my black eyeliner and my laptop, how very practical of me!

Do you have any comfort foods and what memories do you have associated with them?

Ale: Well it's going to sound very italian, but pasta is my absolute favorite comfort food. If I don't have pasta every day, either at lunch or dinner, I admit I feel a little lost :) And I love clementines, they remind me of childhood winters and handmade Christmas decorations.

I can't live without...

Ale: I think I cannot live without cats in general, over the years I figured that I truly need their company, as if they were some sort of soul mates to me.

I feel my best when:

Ale: I am the laziest lady ever, so I feel my best when I'm home on a sunday afternoon, curled up on the couch in my pajama watching an old movie. If I could add a fireplace to it, that would make it perfect!

I am passionate about:

Ale: Art, cooking, 80s and 90s anime, photography, cats, cats, cats!!