LIVING

People like Monica Nanti, an Italian who has lived in the city for eight years—she designs and makes clothes, and sells them in her own shop (Cotoners 12, Carrer Cotoners 12). She said her business is helped by the city’s creative atmosphere—colourful streets, a relaxing ocean and a mixture of cultures. There’s also a spirit of rebellion that dates back to the Franco years when Barcelona was one of the last pockets of resistance, attracting bohemians and artists from across Spain. “Barcelona is a city where you can be what you want to be,” she said. “Catalans are hippies at heart.”

For Nanti, the crisis meant she had to to roll with the punches, a skill she deems indispensable for a freelancer. She noted that shoppers have less disposable cash, but that they don’t want to stop spending. The answer? Focus on more affordable options—give customers the opportunity to buy a €5 wallet if they can no longer afford the €40 skirts. But never, never sacrifice the standard of your work. As a result, she said that for her and her partner business is on the up. She stressed that freelancers’ pride in their products, whether it’s a silk scarf, a new band or a 10-foot origami swan, is the essence of success.

Two more Italians, Andrea Civettini and Andrea Capodivacca are set to open a shop and bar specialising in Italian produce in Poblenou (Melocomo, Pujades 188). They stand in the space that they are slowly turning from a mattress shop into a flamboyant eatery, and they beam with pride. They have personally sourced produce from various regions throughout Italy, and the mozzarella that they will be offering is from Civettini’s father-in-law’s farm in Brescia. “We want to make mozzarella Barcelona’s new drug,” said Capodivacca with a glint in his eye. They have something good to offer and they know it.