Second anniversary of "Gattivi, solo gatti cattivi"

Thank you to everyone who congratulated me, either on my page or via direct message, on the second anniversary of my company “Gattivi, solo gatti cattivi.”

It is a company only on paper; the T-shirts are made exclusively for charity (except for a couple I sold at a charity-oriented fair last year). The reason I registered the company is to protect its name and to eventually contribute to specific charities (military ones often require the company to have been trading for some time before accepting any partnering/donation proposals).

The story of Gattivi is very simple. I designed my first three collections in a couple of days while at home with COVID-19 in 2021, during my two years at the NHS as a frontline healthcare worker. I had the concept in mind since 2018, while attending to my very sick mother after the sudden death of my father. I thought about combining the Italian words “Gatti” (cats) and “Cattivi” (evil/naughty) to create a memorable word, "Gattivi". The concept occurred suddenly at the time, and the transition to a design core element—the head, tail, and paw of a black cat—popped up abruptly during the aforementioned unwanted illness break from my 12-hour shifts routine at the time.

A cat lover for decades (though not an extremist or fanatic), I have always valued a cat’s bold attitude toward life events, their cat-centric approach, and their ability to silently judge the rest of the world. One of my first three collections, “I don’t like,” fully expresses this idea. A revolutionary cat, unafraid to speak its mind.

As someone who met people in mental distress in all sectors of society, from PTSD-affected military personnel onward, I noticed that a lot of times, mental health is affected by an individual's inability to express dissatisfaction. The number of people I have met who are so much accustomed to suffer in silence that they lost their ability to express an opinion is astonishing.

At the same time, a lack of willingness to “judge,” in an attempt to appear good or simply due to indifference, does not do wonders for our societies. The most basic example is children who grow up into adults who are incapable of accepting criticism or denial simply because nobody ever bothered to tell them “no.” It sounds dramatic, but the “I don’t like” collection, though cheeky and funny, lies on this theoretical background. Psychologically speaking, the "I don’t like" collection reflects principles of assertiveness training, encouraging individuals to express their true feelings and opinions, which is crucial for mental well-being. This idea aligns with Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory, which emphasizes the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling in developing behaviors. Similarly, the reluctance to criticize or set boundaries, seen in individuals unable to say “no,” can be understood through the lens of Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, particularly the crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt in early childhood.

Born at the same time, the collection “Never too” is a manifesto for people who want to go beyond, are not afraid of being “too much” of something, and do it proudly, rebutting others' judgment. This might seem to contradict what I said earlier, but it isn’t: on one side, people should be ready to speak their minds when it is relevant and helpful; on the other, whoever is on the receiving end of an unrequested judgment can decide to ignore it. The "Never too" collection embodies Carl Rogers' concept of the fully functioning person, someone who lives in congruence with their true self and embraces their uniqueness despite external judgments. This approach promotes self-actualization, a key component of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where fulfilling one's potential and achieving self-fulfillment are paramount.

All the other collections, especially the kid-specific “Go for,” aim at eliciting a smile from people. A smile is one of the best tools to face life.

So, no real celebration for the 2-year mark, except for providing two new, unique designs to a charity organizing a raffle to collect money for a school in High Wycombe.

Which, probably, for the spirit behind Gattivi, is the best celebration anyway :-)