Tell us a little about yourself…
My name is Erica, I live in Milan, and I was born and raised in the city of Osimo (Marche region), but my whole family is from Puglia. I have never felt tied to one specific place, and perhaps that's why, ever since I was a child, I sought refuge in something that went beyond conformity and beyond the everyday context I lived in.
In my adolescence, the arrival of early social media platforms like MySpace was a revelation for me. It allowed me to discover that online communities existed with the same interests and tastes in music and aesthetics as mine. The web was fundamental in my growth journey: from the thousands of inspirations it offered, I understood what I liked and who I wanted to be.
I have always been very connected to music (as long as I can remember): I recall as if it were now when, as a child, I saw my father listen to his vinyl records on headphones in religious silence. I used to tell everyone that when I grew up, I wanted to be a singer. It didn't happen that way, but singing at the top of my lungs to my favorite songs (and truly believing in it) is still my favorite thing in the world.
In life, I work as a content creator (I have an tireless passion for the beauty world and for brands that produce niche clothing with a vintage attitude), a model, and about a year ago, I decided to make space for an inner need I had for a long time, related to my love for cinema and arts, as well as my introspective soul: studying acting. The journey I've embarked on in this world has definitely changed my life; I've discovered a new Erica, and I'm grateful to myself for having done so.
How did your passion for photography begin?
When I was little, my mom and dad filled me with photos taken with their analog Yashica. I’ve always loved flipping through those albums full of memories suspended in time. I started taking photos to define my online identity back in the MySpace days: in that context, it was essential to meticulously curate one's image to best identify with the "movement" one wanted to belong to. So, first with a compact camera and then with my first digital SLR (bought used with my savings), I started photographing myself and post-producing the shots on Photoshop as a self-taught individual. I wanted to recognize myself and be recognized as part of that world.
Later, I started working as a model for fashion and fine art shootings. What fascinates me most about photography is that it allows you to depict and express whatever you want. As a photographed subject, however, I immediately understood that what I loved most was being able to communicate a precise state of mind through the shot: from this, an irrepressible need to deepen this aspect grew within me, which remained alive until I enrolled in actor's studio.
What is your biggest dream?
My biggest dream is to achieve self-realization as a strong and independent woman, whatever path awaits me in the future.
What does “light” mean to you?
Light is a word that conveys calm, positivity, and hope to me. For me, it means seeing the good in things and people, being empathetic, facing whatever happens to me with courage and without fear. But above all, it means following what my heart tells me and always expressing myself freely.
Erica wears: SOTTIVESTE LUREX BLUETTE dress and LUPETTO LUREX VIOLA top
If you want to get to know Erica, you can find her here: @eryvit