Sewing memories from around the world

Expat zone

Growing up surrounded by the sound of the sewing machine, different fabrics spread around the house and a variety of buttons ready to be sewed in, it only made sense for Vito Dell'Erba to enter the fashion world later on.

Born in Italy and raised in Montreal, Vito is currently the creative director of ‘Future Lifestyle’ and has been living in the city since January.

“I have always been a creative person. I realised that if I decided to be a painter and make a living, my father would never approve. That’s when I decided to join the world of fashion and I feel very blessed with my choice,” he explains.

Vito originally moved to Mumbai in 2014 when he was working with ‘Raymond’. It was his job shift that brought him to the city.

Though he had earlier visited Bengaluru a few times for office work, he says, living here is completely different.

“I also visited Mumbai a couple of times before I moved there for work; I never thought I would be living there. It’s an exciting city that has a lot to offer. Bengaluru, on the other hand, is different and I had to reconsider everything. But the weather is great and there are lots of new things to explore. It’s smaller than Mumbai, but it’s fine,” he smiles.

Being an explorer, he enjoys trying out different restaurants in the city. He has tried almost all the Japanese restaurants like ‘Sunnys’ and ‘The Glasshouse’ to name a few.

However, he likes to prepare his own food. “I love my Italian food. I’ve tried a few restaurants here, but they’re not authentic enough for me. Cooking is a creative activity for me and I enjoy feeding my friends and family,” he adds.

Vito also spends his free time at the gym, watching Netflix, going out with friends or relaxing at a spa. He says, “I absolutely love spas and getting massages. There are times when I plan a vacation just because there’s a good massage place there.” 

     As part of his travels, he has been to Goa, Rajasthan and Kerala. He hopes to visit Bandipur very soon and also cross Nandi Hills and Lalbagh off his bucket list.  “I don’t like crowded places. Comfort is very important to me. I’m also fine not meeting a lot of other expats. I like to mingle with the locals and understand their lifestyle and culture. Unlike others, I try to stay away from the clique of expats as much as I can,” he explains.

One of the reasons for this attitude, he claims, is his upbringing in Montreal. “I moved to Montreal when I was nine months old. It was a great city and I was exposed to a lot of culture. The government had great programmes available, especially in the field of sports. I used to play soccer, football, ice hockey — you name it, I have played it,” he says.

“But it was a very easy city. It’s when I left that I realised that things outside are a lot harder than they appear. You need to earn certain things when they aren’t presented to you. Earlier, there was the notion of ‘work hard and make a living for yourself’ but now it’s global competition,” he adds.

Even though he grew up there, his roots go back to Italy. He explains, “I strongly believe in values, relationships, family, giving respect and being a noble person with ideas. But having lived in cities in France and now India, and others like London, Milan and Rome, I believe I am a global person.”

One thing he misses about living abroad is that he cannot walk freely. “I like to put my headphones on and go for walks. It’s part of my meditation. But it’s impossible to do so here with all the noise, unclean streets and dust. I am yet to explore the nice parks, though,” he explains.

Nevertheless, he says he doesn’t want to change anything about the city as that is what forms the soul of Bengaluru. He shares, “This city is great for a family life. Moreover, it’s not distracted like Mumbai.”

In the coming days, Vito hopes to continue exploring the city. He says, “Bengaluru has been very nice to me and the people are great too. I hope to make the most of the city during my time here.”