Lucilla Nori: Miss Universe Italy 2025 on fashion as a journey of awareness

Lucilla Nori is a Roman model and the winner of Miss Universe Italy 2025. A milestone achieved on August 31st, 2025, during the national final held at Villa Cafiero in Puglia — the culmination of a path built on awareness and discipline: years spent not only under the spotlight, but behind the scenes as a fitting model, where fashion is crafted millimeter by millimeter, and in classrooms where she teaches women and young girls that posture is the first act of love toward oneself.

Lucilla proudly represented Italy in Thailand at the Miss Universe 2025 final. But Lucilla’s daily life reveals even more facets: today she collaborates with Villaggio So.Spe. Solidarietà e Speranza in Rome, a multifunctional center supporting women and children who have suffered violence.

Today, Lucilla joins us to share how to stay grounded even when wearing a crown.

Dear Lucilla, welcome to InItaly. We’re delighted to have you with us today. Let’s go back to the night of August 31st: the moment of coronation is often described as a dream. What did you feel when they announced your name? Did it feel like a goal achieved or the beginning of a new responsibility?

It was a moment suspended in time. When I heard my name, I felt an overwhelming emotion, difficult to put into words: a mix of disbelief, gratitude, and deep emotion. On one hand, I felt the weight of an important milestone — the recognition of a journey made of commitment, sacrifices, and dreams patiently nurtured.

But almost immediately, that joy transformed into awareness. In that moment, I understood that it wasn’t just an arrival point, but the beginning of a new responsibility. Being crowned means becoming a voice, an example, carrying stories, values, and expectations that go far beyond oneself.

It felt like opening a new door: exciting, stimulating, and also a bit demanding. Since that night, I’ve felt an even stronger desire to give concrete meaning to that title, honoring it every day with authenticity, respect, and dedication.

You had the honor of representing Italy in Thailand, a true crossroads of cultures. Was there a moment, away from the cameras, when you felt proud to be Italian? What was it like bringing Italian elegance abroad?

Yes, there was a very specific moment — simple, yet deeply meaningful. Away from the lights and cameras, during an informal conversation with some contestants and staff members, I realized how admired and respected Italy was. As I spoke about our culture, our way of living beauty, art, food, and human relationships, I felt a sincere pride in representing my country.

Being Italian in such a culturally rich environment meant carrying with me an idea of elegance that isn’t just aesthetic, but made of sensitivity, kindness, and attention to detail. I tried to express it through gestures, words, and the way I related to others — even more than through the clothes I wore.

Bringing Italian elegance abroad felt natural and deeply emotional: not as something to flaunt, but as a value to share. In Thailand, I understood that Italy is not just a geographical place, but a style of the soul — capable of speaking to the world and being recognized even in the quietest moments.

During the competition in Thailand, right at the final stage, we faced one of the most exciting and significant moments: the presentation of the National Costume. It was there that I felt a strong desire to tell who I am and where I come from, choosing to pay tribute to one of the most beloved symbols of our culture: the Sanremo Festival.

I wanted to bring not only a dress to the international stage, but also a story, an emotion, a piece of Italy. This National Costume is a tribute to Sanremo, the City of Flowers and Music, overlooking the Ligurian Riviera and known throughout the world as the historic home of the Italian Song Festival, which since 1951 has been one of the most iconic cultural events in our country.

The dress celebrates this dual soul: nature and tradition, the delicate beauty of flowers and the universal power of music. The design is directly inspired by the Festival, where flowers have never been mere decorations, but symbols of Italian elegance, fragrance, and creativity. For decades, they have embellished the stage of the Ariston Theater, becoming an indelible part of Italy's collective memory.

Every detail has a specific meaning: flowers, an expression of nature, refinement, and local tradition; musical notes and the pentagram, emblems of the Festival, Italian music, and the artistic soul of our country.

On a personal level, this dress represents the immense pride of bringing a piece of Italy to the world. It is the harmony between art and nature, the poetry of flowers, the emotion of music. It encapsulates the essence of Italy: a country that blossoms with beauty, emotion, and culture.

Your professional background is fascinating because it combines the role of fitting model with that of teacher — both requiring a 360-degree technical understanding of clothing. Did this background help you handle the media exposure that followed the competition?

Absolutely yes. My professional journey helped me immensely in facing media exposure with greater awareness and balance. Working as a fitting model taught me to understand the body, fabrics, and lines in a technical and concrete way — but above all, it taught me to have a clear, professional relationship with my image, without being overwhelmed by it. This allowed me to handle media attention more calmly, distinguishing between representation and who I truly am.

At the same time, teaching gave me essential tools on a human and communicative level. Being used to speaking in public, managing people’s attention, and conveying content clearly and responsibly helped me stay centered even in moments of high pressure.

Together, these two worlds gave me a solid foundation: technical competence on one side, and listening, empathy, and a sense of duty on the other. Thanks to this background, I experienced media exposure not as something to fear, but as an opportunity to manage with respect, professionalism, and authenticity.

Posture is a “silent language”: this is one of your teachings, and it’s a beautiful concept, especially when working with women or young girls trying to regain confidence. Can you share a small transformation you witnessed? How does a woman’s gaze change when she learns to occupy her space in the world with the right posture?

Yes, posture truly is a silent language — and perhaps that’s why it’s so powerful. I remember a woman who joined my classes with great shyness: she entered the room with closed shoulders, her gaze lowered, almost as if apologizing for her presence. She wasn’t trying to “appear,” but simply to feel a little better in her body.

At first, the work was delicate, almost invisible: breathing, alignment, small awareness exercises. Then one day, as she walked, I saw something shift. It wasn’t just her straighter posture — it was her gaze. It had opened. She was looking forward, no longer at the floor. In that moment, I understood she had begun to occupy her space without fear.

When a woman learns to inhabit her body with the right posture, her self-perception changes — and so does the way others perceive her. Not because she becomes “bigger” or more visible, but because she becomes present. The body stops protecting itself and begins to tell a story of self-respect. It’s a silent but profound transformation, and it’s always a privilege to witness it.

Your experience has also led you to collaborate with Villaggio So.Spe., founded by Sister Paola. What do you take home after a day spent there, and how does this experience influence the way you live the world of fashion?

My journey gave me the honor of collaborating with Villaggio So.Spe., founded by Sister Paola — an extraordinary woman who left an indelible mark on everyone who met her. After a day spent at the Village, you go home with much more than you can put into words: you carry with you the eyes, the stories, the dignity, and the strength of people who, despite everything, continue to believe in life. It’s an experience that strips away superficiality and brings back to the center what truly matters: humanity, listening, respect.

This experience deeply influences how I live the world of fashion. It reminds me that fashion is not just aesthetics or trends — it can and must be responsibility, message, care. Every creative choice becomes more conscious, because behind every garment there are people, values, and opportunities to make a difference.

Villaggio So.Spe. teaches that true elegance is born from empathy, and that the most authentic beauty is the one capable of including, supporting, and giving hope.

Thank you so much, Lucilla, for being with us. We wish you the best of luck in your professional future.