PIETRO BOSELLI
THE INFLUENCER AND MODEL ON DIRT-FREE FASHION, FIDGETY TECH WEAR AND FILTERS. BY BERTAN BUDAK
You’ve gone from being a maths lecturer to a fashion influencer. How did you make that move?
I moved to London in 2007 to study mechanical engineering, then went on to be a maths lecturer at UCL. I studied for my PhD there with the hope of pursuing a career in academia but my life changed after a student posted a picture on Facebook. I put my plans on hold to focus on content creation, modelling and launching a YouTube channel focused on the science behind strength training. Fitness is a huge passion of mine.
What fitness gadget can you not live without?
Simplicity is key. I don’t need a million trinkets I’ll rarely use. That’s why I love Timex’s Ironman series, which is equipped with a Casio-like interface and has a stopwatch that’s helpful for high-endurance interval training. It’s basic and doesn’t overcomplicate things.
Did you get any tech for Christmas?
I was looking into the iPhone 12 Pro. It looks great and has an amazing camera. Would I ever switch to Android? Well, I was formerly an Android user but ditched it for Apple, which I much prefer as it syncs across my Apple devices. I don’t have to manage passwords and can toggle between documents on my phone and MacBook.
Do you think tech can ever be fashionable?
I’ve not seen many great examples of wearable tech. This one time I bought an electrically heated jacket. It looked good but it ended up being super fidgety and uncomfortable, and didn’t really work. We still have a lot of progress to make when it comes to making wearable tech that’s fashionable and functional at the same time. The concept of being able to try on clothes using augmented reality is something I feel needs to be widely rolled out, which can only be done with the backing of big brands. It’s a cool technology and will lead to more purchases online as people can virtually try before they buy.
You’ve just launched your hi-tech premium sportswear collection, Petra Design… This collection marries fitness and fashion. The clothes are made of durable, highquality materials and incorporate a lot of technology to help with air circulation, water-proofing and resistance, as well as comfort. This is where my engineering background proved a big help as I was able to understand how raw materials can be shaped and processed to produce something powerful.
Where do you see the future of sportswear, especially where tech is concerned?
There’s so much innovation out there and this is where I’m looking to apply my engineering skills. Specifically, there’s the potential to create sportswear that’s charged with ions to remove dirt. So once the material is washed, thanks to ions infused within the garment, dirt and stains will simply fall off.
What three apps can’t you live without?
My Notes app. I’m not a forgetful person but I need something that can help me organise and structure my schedule. Being a content creator, photo-editing is part and parcel of the job so Snapseed app is great for adding light-enhancing filters to make my online content more visually appealing. Last but not least is Google Maps. I’d be quite literally lost without it.
So you’re no stranger to photo-editing software…
Well, to a degree. I use Snapseed to adjust lighting and apply colour filters. It’s very light editing but it makes a huge impact to the overall visual.
What do you want most in this world?
An uncracked phone.
Boselli’s sportswear range is available at Harrods or petra.design