The Italian designer, sustainability pioneer, and fashion activist opens a deeply personal chapter with her new memoir, Se sembra impossibile, puoi farlo, tracing a remarkable journey through Milan’s fashion world, Hollywood, motherhood, and the pursuit of a more responsible industry.
Fashion has always been a world of extraordinary personalities, transformative ideas, and stories that extend far beyond the runway. Few careers illustrate that richness quite like Marina Spadafora’s. The Italian designer, educator, and internationally recognized advocate for ethical fashion has spent decades navigating the industry’s creative landscape while championing a future in which beauty, craftsmanship, and responsibility coexist. Now, she is turning the page on her own remarkable story.
Published on October 2, 2026, by Italian publishing house Solferino, her new autobiography, Se sembra impossibile, puoi farlo: Una vita nella moda, con una missione speciale (If It Seems Impossible, You Can Do It: A Life in Fashion With a Special Mission), offers an intimate portrait of a woman whose professional achievements have unfolded alongside profound personal transformations.
Across its 304 pages, Spadafora revisits the experiences, relationships, ambitions, and unexpected challenges that have shaped her life. From the breathtaking landscapes of the Dolomites to the creative energy of Milan, from Hollywood encounters to international humanitarian initiatives, her story unfolds as a compelling exploration of determination, identity, and the enduring power of following one’s convictions.
An Unforgettable Connection With Audrey Hepburn
Among the memoir’s most captivating revelations is Spadafora’s personal relationship with Audrey Hepburn, the legendary actress and enduring symbol of cinematic elegance. Hepburn was the mother of Spadafora’s second husband, giving the designer an intimate perspective on a woman whose influence continues to resonate throughout fashion and popular culture.
In her recollections, Spadafora remembers Hepburn for her warmth, humor, simplicity, and welcoming nature. Their encounter left a lasting impression, becoming one of the meaningful personal connections that helped shape her outlook on life. For readers fascinated by Hepburn’s enduring legacy, this family connection offers a particularly intimate dimension to Spadafora’s story. Behind the celebrated image of one of Hollywood’s most recognizable style icons emerges the memory of a woman whose kindness and humanity proved unforgettable. It is a revealing introduction to a memoir in which relationships, emotional experiences, and personal values occupy as much space as professional milestones.
From Milan’s Fashion Renaissance to an International Career
Spadafora’s creative journey developed during an exhilarating period for Italian fashion. The 1990s witnessed Milan’s growing international prominence as a fashion capital, with Italian design attracting global attention for its craftsmanship, creativity, and distinctive aesthetic identity.
It was during this dynamic decade that Spadafora launched her own collection, establishing herself within an industry defined by artistic ambition and constant reinvention. Her professional journey would eventually include work with some of Italy’s most celebrated fashion houses, including Ferragamo, Prada, Miu Miu, and Marni.
These experiences form an important part of the autobiography, offering insight into a career shaped by creative exploration, entrepreneurship, and the evolving demands of the luxury fashion business.
Yet Spadafora’s ambitions gradually extended toward questions that would become increasingly significant for the global fashion industry: Who makes our clothes? Under what conditions are they produced? And what responsibility does fashion carry toward the people and communities behind its creations? These questions would help define the next chapter of her career.
Fashion with a Mission: The Philosophy behind Marina Spadafora’s Work
At the heart of Spadafora’s professional identity lies a guiding philosophy: Fashion with a Mission. For the designer, fashion offers an opportunity to promote social responsibility, protect traditional craftsmanship, and encourage more environmentally conscious production practices.
Her commitment found a particularly meaningful expression through her work as creative director of Altromercato’s clothing and accessories line. The role connected her with artisans around the world, allowing her to explore the relationship between contemporary design, traditional skills, and fairer approaches to production. Craftsmanship became an essential part of a broader conversation about the human value of fashion.
Throughout her career, Spadafora has advocated for greater awareness of the textile industry’s environmental impact, improved protection of workers’ rights, and recognition of local artisanal traditions. Her international work has also included collaborations on United Nations projects in Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt.
In 2015, she received the Women Together Award at the United Nations in New York, recognizing a significant milestone in her commitment to socially responsible fashion.
These experiences reflect the international scope of a career that has moved between creative studios, educational institutions, artisan communities, and global organizations.
Marina Spadafora and the Fashion Revolution
Spadafora’s influence extends into fashion activism and education. Since 2014, she has served as the Italian national coordinator of Fashion Revolution, the international movement advocating for greater transparency, accountability, and social and environmental responsibility throughout the fashion industry.
Her involvement reflects a long-standing commitment to encouraging meaningful change in the way clothing is designed, manufactured, purchased, and valued.
Education has become another central dimension of her work. As a professor of ethical fashion at prestigious academies in Italy and internationally, Spadafora shares her experience with emerging creative professionals who will help shape the industry’s future.
Her approach encourages a broader understanding of design, one that considers the environmental and human consequences of creative decisions alongside aesthetic expression.
In 2020, she explored these ideas in La rivoluzione comincia dal tuo armadio (The Revolution Begins in Your Wardrobe), written with journalist Luisa Ciuni and published by Solferino.
The book addressed the relationship between personal clothing choices and the wider transformation of fashion, reinforcing Spadafora’s belief that individual awareness can contribute to collective progress.
Her latest publication takes a more autobiographical direction, bringing the woman behind these convictions into sharper focus.
Beyond the Runway: Love, Motherhood, and Personal Resilience
While Spadafora’s professional accomplishments provide a fascinating framework, the emotional depth of Se sembra impossibile, puoi farlo emerges through the personal experiences she chooses to share. Her memoir explores the importance of family, the emotional complexity of romantic relationships, and the longing to create a home of her own.
Raised within a large and loving family, Spadafora carried those emotional foundations with her as her career took her across continents. Her personal journey included romantic disappointments and periods of uncertainty before she fulfilled her desire to become a mother.
The autobiography also confronts more difficult chapters, including the crisis of her own business and her battle with illness. These experiences introduce vulnerability into a story that might otherwise be viewed primarily through the lens of professional success.
Spadafora approaches her life as a succession of choices, unexpected turns, and moments that demanded courage. Her reflections acknowledge the emotional cost of ambition, the challenges of rebuilding, and the significance of remaining connected to personal aspirations.
For younger readers, particularly those considering careers in fashion and other creative industries, her experiences offer a perspective on perseverance that extends well beyond professional achievement. The message is rooted in the conviction that attempting something difficult is the essential first step toward making it possible.
The Beauty of a Life Lived With Purpose
There is something particularly compelling about a fashion memoir that gives equal importance to creative achievement and personal evolution. Spadafora’s story moves through some of the most fascinating environments in contemporary fashion, yet its emotional center remains deeply human.
Her encounters with influential personalities, her work with renowned Italian fashion houses, her international collaborations, and her advocacy for ethical production reveal the many dimensions of a life devoted to creativity and conviction.
At the same time, her reflections on family, motherhood, illness, and professional uncertainty offer a more intimate understanding of the woman behind the public achievements. Throughout these chapters, one idea remains constant: the importance of finding the courage to pursue what initially appears beyond reach.
Se sembra impossibile, puoi farlo: Una vita nella moda, con una missione speciale is available in Italian from Solferino, as part of its Tracce collection. The 304-page paperback has a listed retail price of €19.50, with ISBN 9788828219385.
