Thomas Edward Lawrence said: “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”

Sometimes we do not think about it but following a dream, trying to make it happen is a hard, very hard task. And often, very often it is only our will, our tenacity, our persevering the key capable of opening the door that leads us to realize that particular dream. It is then that the dream ceases to be such and becomes reality. It is not the result of a miracle, of a chance, of a recommendation. None of these. It is us, with our hard work to make them become a reality. With the sleepless nights, the days when we are sad and those in which we are happy, the days in which we are strong and those in which we are fragile. It belongs to this category Simone Racioppo who has such strength and creativity that he can pursue not one but his thousand and one dreams, we could say because at the moment it is on the eve of his debut in the Middle East.

I met him during the preparations for this important step and I took the opportunity to ask him some questions and continue the dialogue opened with the readers of Wall Street International Magazine who often write to me asking news and updates on Simone's activities.

You are on the eve of an important debut in the Middle East. How was this project born and how did you plan to develop it?

The new horizons are always a great inspiration for me, it is a way to measure yourself with new realities, different points of view and find a link between what you already know and what you see for the first time. A woman walking down the street, an old film, a show at the theater, are all cues that link to the images that flow a key to a totally personal reading that I then apply to my creations. The Dubai project was born from a contact of mine who reported my work to what is now my manager, Walid Abdo, Lebanese born and now living in Italy, really expert in commercial relations with the UAE and the Persian Gulf in addition to Western market that includes the United States. After a selection by the Arab Fashion Week committee, the clearance for my participation arrived. A really detailed red carpet to celebrate Italy and Italianness. As a representative of Italy we want to bring our link with the land and the catwalk of the models will be treated in detail. The soundtrack will bring back the Italian character to world-wide excellence with the soundtrack of Il Volo and the atmospheres will bring back to the themes of Dolce Vita.

Why is it important and how important is this project for your career as well as for your person?

Each project is important to me, it is about putting on paper inspirations and dreams that then translate into clothes with the specific purpose of letting a woman to dream and allowing her to feel beautiful and feminine. Dubai was the occasion to blend together atmospheres and emotions, embellished with details that speak a universal language: beauty.

Thinking about the collection you will present in Dubai what kind of woman did you take inspiration from? Which atmospheres?

Looking at a woman means understanding what she really loves about herself and what remains in the most intimate and hidden space. I think of precious stones and then of the sharp, deep and mysterious eyes wrapped in black kajal. I have always been fascinated by the Middle East, the idea of luxury and traditions and styles so defined and linked to that land. Every woman expresses her beauty, all women do it, expressing their character, shyness, elegance, dynamism, strength and femininity.

Are there any partners that will support you and with whom you have developed a team that we hope will win in the Middle East?

To accompany me in Dubai will be a team of which I am really proud of: the young fashion designer Vanessa Villafane (from Alta Roma 2018), the Lebanese fashion company Leslye, Walid Abdo, Lebanese fashion manager from many years in contact with United Arab Emirates, Persian Gulf, United States and Europe, the journalist Francesca Romana Testi (personal branding manager and press manager); Lino Marcucci, a young and promising hair stylist, a collaborator of mine in national events; Marilisa Di Sabatino, established makeup artist and curator of vips in Italy; the event curator Lina Di Rito (Global events of Pescara) with whom I have been collaborating for a long time.

When you will return from Dubai, which projects will await you? Is there anything you can reveal to us?

Dubai is the starting point of a fashion tour that will continue in the United States and will also touch on European capitals, but today I do not want to reveal many details!!!