Pia Baroncini

Pia Baroncini aka “Pia” (because she has it like that) is that friend you feel like you inherently know, but only know through Instagram. She’s the founder and creative mind behind retro-fem clothing label LPA— a brand that stands for fierce femininity and charismatic disarray that’s modeled by the designer’s wonderfully candid and gregarious virtual presence. Baroncini’s brand is of course an extension of herself, but her motivation is rooted in something that feels pure and real. She wants to make you feel good in a dress, but would also smile inwardly to see you wearing it while eating a bowl of pasta and taking a drag of your friend’s cigarette, because it’s Saturday night (or it used to be) and why not? She’s a feeler of feelings, a ride-or-die type, and a creative wellspring with a penchant for creating editorial scenes you want to live in. All of this and so much more is what makes Pia Baroncini so damn Dandy.

Our day-to-day lives have transformed drastically. How are you handling everything mentally? 

I grew up with severe anxiety about someone close to me dying. SEVERE ANXIETY. And then two years ago my father dropped dead in front of me, and a year after that my mother-in-law died of cancer. We won't ever be the same, but I'm ok—better than ok. The idea of these tragedies happening is always worse than the reality because human beings are resilient. We want to survive and thrive. Fear is extremely dangerous for our health and doesn't serve us. So my husband and I have moments of stress and we have sadness for the collective whole, but we are choosing to focus on the good, which honestly just takes practice.

Has your morning routine shifted? What's it like?

The first two weeks I was eating poorly and waking up around 9 am, now it’s back to the same. I wake up around 7-7:30 am, say my prayers, journal, sit in the sun, ground myself and exercise before I get to work. My days are extremely busy but as per usual, I don't work past 6 pm so I can spend quality time with my family.

You criticize yourself the most when:

I put things off or eat something bad. But actually per my doctor, criticizing yourself is extremely dangerous. So my practice now is just consistently exchanging those bad thoughts for good ones.

I see you made some dope new jewelry for LPA! What was your creative process for it and how did it come to life?

My husband is from Sicily and our home has a lot of lemon trees my dad planted, so of course lemons are a huge part of our lives. Nothing says summer to me like lemons, so we just kinda took it there and made them epic. I am beyond stoked on those earrings.

What's your workout plan?

3 days a week I do a HIIT workout, 2 days a week something with weights and the other days I walk!

Five beauty products you always use:

IS Clinical Active Serum, Furtuna Serum, In Fiore or Dior Capture Totale Eye Cream, Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant, and IS Clinical Pro Heal Serum.

You and your husband Davide have a pretty beautiful relationship from the outside looking in. Before you met him, were you scared you wouldn't find the right guy?

FUCK YES ARE YOU KIDDING. But it's that unhealthy desperation that keeps them away. So I would have my moments, but then I would talk to this future-person in my head and say things like "whoever you are, I hope you are healthy and happy and love your job and are preparing yourself for me.” It just set the intention. Then rather than search for someone, I knew I was putting out the right energy, and in the meantime had the best time living my life and dating whoever the hell I wanted.

If someone is going to LA, you tell them to eat at these places:

Felix, Cafe Stella, MHZH and all the Mexican food ever.

You share the highs and lows of your life on Instagram. Do you ever experience shame spirals from sharing personal stories?

I sometimes freak out that people just know too much and something stalker-y will happen. But I'll never feel shameful sharing hardships because the responses are always so connecting.

Describe the moment you found out you were going to have your own clothing label:

No words. So scared. Why me? Who cares? What if I fuck up? I should've enjoyed the ride more.

Running a business is not for the faint of heart. What are some things you legit learned on the job?

Get a fucking lawyer.

How your perception of your body has changed since your early 20s:

I’ve tried since I was 13 to be "skinny" and it’s just not happening. I learned that men don't actually give a shit, that curves are beautiful and confidence gets you laid, not abs.

What's for dinner tonight?

A giant pot of sautéed greens with paprika and garlic and roasted chicken with lemons, artichoke hearts and olives.

Typically as we get evolve, we learn to lean into the sad days and accept them for what they are. But we also learn some ways to help ourselves along the way. What are some things/practices that make you feel better when you're down? 

Crying, dancing around, morning journaling, praying to particular angels and getting drunk.

Do you think influencer culture will shift at all post-corona? There is a sweeping sense of well-deserved appreciation for essential workers and people with specific talents. I wonder if this is just a phase given the global circumstance, or if our cultural values will shift at all:

I think the word influencer is lame. You can't group millions of people into one category. Everyone is different. Comedians, artists, designers, actors and very normal people have influence over others. I think that world assumes someone doesn't have a skill-set, which I think is unfair. I know that people are spending more time following those they connect with and dropping those that don't serve them, which is great. But in general people want to watch other people. It’s human nature and it's not going anywhere. I am a very positive person, but I am a realist. People are dying for jobs and security. It’s going to go back to the same crazy shit it was before. But hopefully, people spend more time with those they love and keep COOKING TOGETHER!

Your pantry/refrigerator staples:

Pickled jalapeños, all the hot sauce, whatever veggies are at the farmers market, Siete Foods Cassava Flour Tortillas, ground bison meat, chicken, salmon, so many fresh herbs, so much lettuce, olive oil and lemons.

Causes you care the most about:

Eco manufacturing, homelessness, mental health and physical health. EATING REAL FOOD.

I know you've been asked a lot about your skincare routine, but I also feel like it evolves with you. What's it like these days?

I got my shit nailed down. At night I use IS Clinical Active Serum, Furtuna Serum, an eye cream and light moisturizer. Morning is IS Clinical Pro Heal Serum, maybe a yummy serum like May Lindstrom, IS Clinical White Lightening cream and SPF.

The time period/decade/moment in history that you always return to if you face a creative rut:

Italian women always forever.

Your favorite Italian food recipe:

 I'm a simple lady; I just want pomodoro.

Your vices:

Salt and vinegar potato chips and booze.