Manuela was born in 1979 in Brazil, with Italian descendance and a true passion for Design. Her studies and career choices led to a specialization in Luxury Leather Goods Merchandising, having lived in NY and Milan for the past 9 years.
In 1997 entered the Universities of Business and Architecture. Studied Business Administration for 3 years and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture & Urbanism in 2002-3. After 4 years of Architecture school, a trial semester of Fashion Design in Florida at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale (2001) convinced her to focus her career in Fashion. Back to Brazil, her Final Year and Graduation Project in the Architecture University was a ‘Fashion School’, awarded with the possibility to partcipate at the National Contest.
In 2003 spent a year in Europe to study Spanish, Italian, and French, strenghthening language skills to live abroad and work in Fashion. In 2004 worked on a few Architecture / Interior Design projects. Late 2004 pursued a Master's Degree in Fashion Design at Parsons NY in the US, with multiple awards and projects selected for exposition. Within the next 2 years, worked with
Anna Sui and
Coviello, collaborating in every aspect of the collections from sketching illustrations to designing patterns, from researching materials to following up production.
Moved to Milano in 2006 to pursue a
Brand Management Master’s Course at
Istituto Marangoni. In 2007 developed a Marketing/Merchandising Project for Italian brand "
Sweet Years" during final semester at Marangoni, earning an invitation to work at
FGF, licensee of Sweet Years and Blauer brands. In 2008 started working for
Sergio Rossi and
Gucci Group, where collaborated for 5 years, initially as Merchandising Assistant, being promoted Merchandising Manager for all lines in 2011. After 2 years is invited to work for
Giorgio Armani as
Merchandising Manager for the Women Shoes lines, position held since November 2012.
Occupation
Giorgio Armani’s women shoes merchandising Manager