An Interview with the Queen of Fashion: Franca

Audrey Hepburn, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Franca. These women automatically come to my brain when I think of modern and recent trend setters. All different fashion icons. All unique women who have started different trends. So, you might be like who’s Franca? (For all the York LA&PS students, you guys know who she is).

Who is Franca?

• 

• 

• 

She’s a crazy but loving Italian superstar. Franca has gone to numerous concerts from Bruno Mars to Ed Sheeran to Elvis. We typically send each other pictures of what we cooked for dinner on the daily while recommending different Netflix shows to watch. She owns pretty much every Gucci bag and Burberry coat. We always have a blast together from talking about new music to checking out new restaurants in Toronto to showing each other memes. We also usually send each other pictures of our plants and flowers in our garden, it’s just wholesome all the time with her. We’re hoping to see a concert together next year!

Here are just a few of her many iconic outfits below:

• 

• 

• 

• 

So you’re probably wondering how we met…well, it all started when I got phoned (by her) for an interview for a job. It was my first “office job” if you will at York U. Ironically, she had the worst impression of me but I thought nothing like that about her. I got the job and the rest is history. She was the kindest but funniest soul I ever encountered in the office. She constantly brought us great food, including buying Pusaterri birthday cakes (which are the best in my humble opinion), and creating fun events for everyone in the workplace. I felt really “at home”. Franca would tell the craziest and funniest stories that happened to her at York, while traveling, just on a regular day. She has one of the funniest and craziest lives. I feel like I should be doing more with mine. Without further ado, I introduce my lovely Franca.

Gloria: So, are you excited for the interview?
Franca: Wow! I’m excited. It’ll be fun, we’ll do amazing and I have tons of pics. I can’t wait to read the blog haha.
G: No, I’m excited!

G: What initially comes to mind when you think about York? How about working with me (and Claude and Lupe) in South Ross?
F: I loved working with you all. You [Gloria] were efficient and fun and I loved my team!

G: What are some of your favourite memories at York?
F: Working with students for sure. One of my most memorable moments was when my team was doing a promotional photoshoot. The photoshoot included students and a professor (me), which was always wearing trendy and flamboyant clothes. Gloria, Claudia, Brian, and Lupe decided to dress me up like a true professor. They all asked me to dress conservative for the photoshoot day. It didn’t work so we poured on tons of scarves on her and glasses. It failed ridiculously but it was hilarious and fun for everyone.

G: How do you spend your time now?
F: [laughs], I love shopping and cooking. I love shopping for antiques.

G: What is your favourite dish to cook and why?
F: I love different pastas, and I usually cook Italian like seafood linguini, carbonara, mattriciana, vongole, and pesto.
(Sidenote, we usually swap recipes and she gives me a bunch of cooking tips! So if you ever need some help, please message her and she’d be more than willing to help you out. Like look at these dishes below, wow.)

G: What is your favourite designer?
F: Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, and Burberry. For shoes I love Stewart Weismann and Jimmy Chu. For purses it has to be Gucci for sure.

Look at her rocking that printed dress and the heels at work. Do you wear sunglasses at work? Well you should. Look at her pile of high-end goods on her work desk. I can’t. Wow.

G: What is your favourite perfume?
F: My favourite is Chanel 5 absolutely! I used to wear a lot of French perfume and I liked Dolce and Gabanna and the Ralph Lauren perfumes. Did you know the most expensive perfume was Tom Ford and Creed. It’s crazy!
(Sidenote, so I checked online and the perfume from Tom Ford is $860 for 250 ml…yeah okay bye).

G: What are some songs you would recommend for people to listen to right now?
F: I love the artist, Lewis Capaldi and I’d recommend “Circles” by Post Malone. I’m a music lover so I love listening to old and new music.
G: Which concert was your favourite?
F: Ed Sheeran, he is my fave! And the song, Perfect is my favourite song. I have seen so many concert in my days from The Who, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, David Bowie – all kinds really, those were the days with no cell phones!
G: If you could go to a concert of someone living or dead, who would it be?
F: I would have loved to see Queen with Freddie Mercury. I actually saw the movie Rocketman last week, so good.

G: What is a piece of advice you would give to anyone who might be struggling through life right now?
F: Don’t give up, take action and make it happen! Reach your goals, Hammad [a student of hers] wore Tom Ford everything.
(another sidenote, okay so clearly I haven’t apparently reached my goals because I still be wearing Walmart and random no name brands from Korea 🙂 it’s fine).

• 

• 

To say the least, working with Fraca and meeting her was such a joy. I miss working with her and seeing her on the daily. I love our Whatsapp conversations and how wholesome our conversations are in general. She’s so supportive of everything I do. I love so much love for you Franca ❤ Happy early birthday, I hope you loved this post and I can’t wait until we meet again, mwah.