If you are familiar with Vogue’s YouTube channel, then you know they have a series called “Objects of Affection”. These videos are centred around fashion icons, designers, and models (basically whoever is considered interesting enough for the fashion world), who are asked to choose a series of objects they have an emotional connection to. Then, throughout the interview they get to share the stories linked to each item, explaining why they are special to them.
I personally love the series, because it allows you to get a glimpse of parts of the interviewee’s life that wouldn’t normally be shared. I believe that you can learn a lot about a person based on what they hold closest to their heart. And this learning experience is made extra special by its emotional aspect: watching how someone’s features change when thinking of a specific detail, hearing the softness in their voice when they recall their favourite memories… there’s something spectacular in the delicate intimacy of it all.
Since I’m both a very delusional and very anxious person, I realised that I had to be prepared: what if I become super famous and Vogue decides to interview me for their Objects of Affection series? There’s no way I am letting my indecisiveness get in the way of Anna Wintour’s work!
So of course I started contemplating what items would be better for my Objects of Affection video… I’d never want to be considered boring or unoriginal. I’d have to choose something really cool and unique to impress the viewers…but how could I do that when there are so many options?
Comforted by the thought of having the whole night to make my decision (as you can see, I take my imaginary interviews very seriously), I started ruffling through my closet and I retrieved my memorabilia box, which sits in a little corner under a pile of clothes and books. I might have a liiiittle bit of a tendency to keep literally anything and everything, which means that the box is filled with the most random objects: champagne corks, birthday cards… even rocks.
You know the saying “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure”?
Well, I am well aware that if anyone decided to go through the box, they’d probably think that it was full of garbage, but that is actually one of the things that I find most fascinating: all these things make sense to ME. This cluster of garbage is what makes me me. It’s my little treasure.
There’s the beer glass that I accidentally stole from a club in Amsterdam when I spent the night going around the city with a random girl I met at a concert. Sounds a bit irresponsible now, but that’s one of my favourite memories from last year.
There’s the small rock, a pebble really, that my best friend brought me from Rome because she finds it outrageous that I am the only Italian who has never been to the capital… so she decided to bring Rome to me.
There’s a (now deflated) balloon from two years ago that I got when my friends threw me a surprise birthday party. It may look a bit rough and sad, but whenever I see it I get reminded of how loved I felt that night and how, when I got home after the party, Rotterdam felt a little bit more like home.
These are just a few of the many tiny things I keep, so I can be constantly reminded of all the amazing things and people around me.
I wouldn’t trade my garbage for anything in the world.
So who cares if one day Vogue decides to interview me and my items is not cool enough for them? I love my objects of affection and they are interesting to me. And that’s really all that matters.
Written By: Federica Pastella
Edited By: Nimrat Kaur
Visuals By: Lindy van Dijken