COSIMA RAMIREZ
COSIMA RAMIREZ is wearing the Gio No. 007. She is a designer living in Madrid.
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Try to salvage vestiges of meaning from my dreams, more often than not they slip away before I have a chance to write them down.
What is the last thing you do at night?
Bedtime yoga and some light reading.
Can you share some daily habits or rituals?
I’ve taken on the practice of writing The Morning Pages and it is incredibly exciting when I manage to respect their consistency.
What should we be reading?
There are so many answers to this question that I could choose to inflate my ego/reputation, but essentially more books!
What do you collect?
Hats and personalities.
The best arthouse film(s)?
Recently watched Alterred States (1980) and could not have enjoyed it more.
What stands the test of time?
Almost nothing.
What is your perfect meal?
It would involve bone marrow, suckling pig, duck confit, rib-eye, lardo and a vast array of light and fluffy cakes, drenched in custard and vanilla icecream.
Who are your inspirations?
Elizabeth I, Virginia Woolf, Carl Gustav Jung…
What takes you to cloud 9?
Discovering new facets of myself, new opportunities for learning and potentially becoming a teacher’s pet.
Do you have a soundtrack to your life?
Some funky Betty Davis-type jams, with a hint of rebellion in them.
Where would you find your doppelgänger?
At the circus.
What is good design?
Simplicity and joy.
Where do you find good design?
In Italy or Japan.
What are you wearing?
A multicoloured polka dot pyjama and woollen slippers.
What is dear to your heart?
Every specimen of dog.
What is a rule that should never be broken?
Going against your instincts.
What is a rule that should always be broken?
Any rule that is outwardly dictated, at least once (possibly excepting murder).
What is most difficult to find in contemporary culture?
Authentic artistic/intellectual scenes.
What do you find most exciting in contemporary culture?
Our access to endless information.
What is your favorite candy?
The discontinued Mars Delight.
What is your favorite animal?
The dog.
What do you still wish to learn?
Everything!!!! (Particularly in terms of listening to my own inner guidance).
What is still a mystery?
Love (and the future).
What is your favourite representation of simplicity?
A piece by Lucio Fontana.
What is your favourite representation of complexity?
The human brain.
Where is happiness found?
Within. (Also, in cake).
What do you see outside your window?
The city lights of Madrid at night.
What makes you feel nostalgic?
Pretty much everything, I am very indulgent of the fantasies of nostalgia (that harken back to a time that never was).
What do you find humorous?
Thankfully most things.
What is your favorite slogan?
Ande yo caliente, riase la gente. (As long as I’m warm, let the people laugh).
What is modern?
Finding a way to break from convention.
Can you recall a dream?
My most recurring one is very abstract and nightmarish, in which I am in the dark, bound by ropes and at the mercy of unseen forces and mechanical devices.
What is your first memory?
My first night at boarding school.
What do you look forward to?
Quiet time to myself (preferably with my dogs).
What is a distraction?
Absolutely anything that serves as an excuse not to pursue your dreams.
What should we listen to?
The Emerald podcast.
What does progression mean to you?
Honouring the past, honouring the future.
What was your last download?
Opal – an app to limit my social media use.
Who are your heroes or heroines in history?
Elizabeth I.
What is your favourite mistake?
Thinking that I knew the answers.
What is the best cult classic?
My Fair Lady (1964).
What are you bored by?
The state of global politics.
Any last words?
Truth (and where in the world can one find it?)