In our hyperconnected world, digital personalities have the ability to connect with whoever happens to land on their page. For Pia Arrobio, founder and creative director of LPA, that presence is a big part of why we adore her oh so much. On life, love, and the struggles of keeping things normal, Arrobio is candid and raw to a fault. And through witty captions and unfiltered photos, her curated version of reality actually feels pretty damn real.
In the past year, her willingness to share has gone beyond her own world and now includes her husband’s, Davide. On Instagram, she posts snippets of him making pasta, their Sundays in bed, riding in cars with their bulldog Ciro, and all the mundane, everyday practices that make up life with an irresistible sense of humor. We sat down with the couple for an inside look at their love story. And guess what? They’re just as enjoyable IRL as they are on screen.
What did you think of each other the first time you met?
Pia: “I thought he walked out of a movie from the 1950s. It was surreal.”
Davide: “I felt very good and comfortable. Considering I was in a different town with someone I didn’t know, I felt like it wasn’t the first time.”
Describe your first kiss.
Pia: “I was a little drunk and very nervous.”
Davide: “There are too many feelings to describe.”
What smell makes you think of your significant other?
Pia: “He has a very strong scent; he uses this cologne that makes my heart explode. When we were long distance, I would keep his shirts and spray it on my teddy bear. But also, pasta.”
Davide: “Incense from Gjusta and coffee. She used to bring me my espresso in the morning when we first got together.”
What three words would you use to describe your love/relationship?
Pia: “Whirlwind, intense, romantic.”
Davide: “Genuine, intense, sweet.”
What’s your favorite thing about the other person?
Pia: “It feels like we are made of the same ingredients; like he is my blood, my whole life.”
Davide: “She is my best friend.”
What’s something your significant other does that annoys the hell out of you, but you love them anyway?
Pia: “He thinks I’m not clean, but his level of clean is military grade and I’m busy.”
Davide: “She doesn’t keep her car clean.”
What piece of clothing/outfit do you love that your SO wears?
Pia: “His outfits are divine. Watching him combine luxury Italian suiting with American staples (Vans, Carhartt) is so sexy.”
Davide: “She has a vintage French linen nightgown she wears as a dress with her beige Man0lo flats.”
Do you influence each other’s style?
Both: “We are slowly morphing into the same person.”
What is the hardest situation your relationship has had to overcome, and how did you beat it?
Pia: “In the last year, my father died, Davide had to leave his job, move to LA, and start a business, we moved in with my mom, and we canceled our wedding to go visit [his mother] for 30 days (after begging the government to let us leave because he doesn’t have his green card). This year was just one thing after the other, but we are stronger than ever.”
Weirdest habit your SO has?
Pia: “He’s pretty normal, I have to be honest.”
Davide: “She always leaves her credit cards around.”
How has your relationship changed? Talk about the evolution and stages, if you can break it down.
Pia: “This year was a nightmare. We have grown as a team in a very easy way. We fight because we are frustrated sometimes, but we are so desperately bonded. He is one step ahead of every move I make.”
We all assume ‘roles’ in relationships—whether we want to or not. They shift over time and can be fluid based on circumstances, but describe what that looks like right now for you two.
Both: “We truly have an equal partnership.”