CAVAZZONI ITALIAN ELEGANCE Iconicfocus Model NYC, Greta Cavazzoni, was born and raised in Modena, a small city in northern Italy. At age 16 she was discovered at a modeling competition and her career took off from there. Greta finished school before she began modeling full time, so she remained in Italy until graduation. Since that time she has graced the covers of Spanish, Italian, British, and German Vogue, French Elle, German Elle, Grazia, Amica, Russian GQ, and many other international fashion magazines. She has also appeared in campaigns for Valentino, Versace, Les Copains, Christian Dior, Laura Biagiotti and Tommy Hilfiger. In 2001 she landed the Martell Cognac campaign with acclaimed photographer Matthew Rolston that took her on a tour across Asia, Europe and the United States. She has also appeared on numerous catwalks in Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo and New York for a wide selection of top fashion designers including Armani, John Galliano, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Bill Blass, Ralph Lauren, and Oscar De La Renta. S T O R Y B Y D I A N A A D D I S O N LY L E JOE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY H A I R / M A K E U P B Y C H R I S T I NA T U R I N O 48 J O E H I L L P H O T O G R A P H Y. C O M SPECIAL THANKS TO ICONICFOCUS MODELS NYC 49
COVERSTORY GRETA CAVAZZONI While pursuing her modeling career, Greta discovered a new love: Acting. She began to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City with Marilyn Fried. Greta also took classes with acting teacher Tony Greco and noted speech coach Sam Chwat. After appearing in Robert Altman s Prêt-à-Porter and hosting MTV Italy s House of Style in 1999, she landed her first big role in the Italian romantic comedy Ogni lasciato e perso with comedian Piero Chiambretti. She appeared on the hit Fox television show Two Guys and a Girl and in 2002, during her first visit to Los Angeles, she was cast in a leading role on the NBC pilot Life at 5 Feet with Mad TV comedian Alex Borstein. She has worked on Italian TV as well as on the HBO series Sex and the City. She recently completed work on two feature films Oliviero Rising in the lead female role opposite Vincent Gallo, Ernest Borgnine, and Burt Young. She also appeared in the Italian feature film Sons of Italy. Happily married to fellow Italian American, Andrea Carrano, the couple has a daughter, Olimpia, aged 6 and a son, Andrea, aged 5. They live in Los Angeles where Greta is currently attending The Art Institute of California Hollywood - studying Fashion and Design. Having already launched a successful handbag collection that she designs and produces she plans to continue her career particularly as her children grow up and become more independent. We particularly appreciated Greta s level of courtesy and professionalism in the weeks that we worked with her. Punctual, appropriate and super level-headed there was never any sign of a diva in her. Quite the opposite: she eschews people who have senses of entitlement; she sets the example for her children on how to live unselfishly while thinking of others. She is very mindful of the traps that one can fall into in a place like Los Angeles where material possessions and outward appearances can take on disproportionate values. Instead, she leads an uncomplicated life where family values and a solid immersion in being grateful for everyday simplicities take precedence. Every summer, she goes back to Europe with her family to visit her mother and this is an important trip on many fronts: not only does she maintain her closeness to her mother, but her children s eyes are also opened to how other people live in the world. Families live in small apartments, drive tiny cars that are economical on gas, and they are very content with their simple lives. Greta possesses a refreshing international perspective on life - honed from her extensive observations while traveling to different parts of the world. Well read, she is acutely interested in the extensive human family. At age 42, Greta defies all the notions that women have an expiration date in the modeling world or that they can t have children later in life. Her roles as a devoted wife and mother, as well as those of a model and designer bring her immensely varied satisfaction. Q: DESCRIBE HOW YOUR LIFE TOOK OFF IN YOUR TEENAGE YEARS WHILE GROWING UP IN ITALY GRETA I started modeling when I was 14 years old. First, I was called by New York modeling giant John Casablancas to participate in the modeling competition Look of the Year. Because I was so young, my family didn t allow me to leave right away. I then started doing fashion catalogues in my town, near Bologna Italy. At the time there were lots of clothing production companies. I went to Milan and landed some magazines shoots that led me to a big one for Italian Vogue. From there I was on German Elle, French Elle and other important European magazines. My USA career started when I was called to shoot the Mademoiselle cover and American Vogue. Q: DESCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD GROWING UP IN A SMALL VILLAGE TOWN IN ITALY GRETA My childhood in Italy was very different. We had no technology and I grew up running around my father s farm and that was so healthy. I think that California offers kids a wonderful outdoor lifestyle. The weather is great all year around and there is some amazing countryside here as well. So, it does remind me a bit of Italy especially when I visit the beautiful vineyards. Unfortunately, I don t know if my kids appreciate that as much as they should. It s very hard to keep them away from their ipads and video games. I always remind them of how important nature is for human beings and how healing it is. Q: WHEN YOU ARRIVED IN THE U.S. WHAT WAS THE ADAPTATION LIKE? GRETA When I came to the U.S. I was 16 years old. It was very exciting to land in the Big Apple. I had only ever seen it on TV shows, so the impact it had was great. At first I struggled with adapting to the different food but I loved the energy of New York City. What a wonderful experience it was; maybe a little lonely at times but it was so exciting. Q: HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR HUSBAND? GRETA I met my husband in a very old-fashioned way. In fact, I was introduced to him by his mother! I was living in New York at the time and I had designed a handbag collection and was looking for someone to produce my samples. My friend advised me to talk to this Italian woman Elisabetta, who had a beautiful Italian shoe store in New York called Andrea Carrano. And I did. We actually became friends. Elisabetta is a very vibrant woman and I immediately loved chatting away with her. About a year later I met her son and we fell in love. The funny thing is I went to Naples, Italy with Elisabetta and we had a great time 51
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COVERSTORY GRETA CAVAZZONI but I never ended up producing my bags with her factory - just somewhere else. I just find this story so telling of Italian culture; in a way, you could have heard this story in my little town of Modena. Q: HOW DID YOU TRANSITION FROM THIS INTERNATIONAL LIFE AS A MODEL TO FAMILY LIFE IN CALIFORNIA? GRETA A had a very long career as a model and I was constantly traveling for runways in London, Milan and Paris. I then started my own fashion venture because I felt - and still do feel - that my experience comes from everything I have seen in fashion and cultures around the world. I knew I would have a family only when I was ready to settle down and not travel as much so that I could focus on my kids. I want to be very present for my kids. Now that they are 6 and 5 years old, I have more time, so I recently decided to study and get a degree in fashion design just to legitimize my experience by adding more technical knowledge. I m currently studying at The Art Institute of California and loving it. I think a woman needs to keep her identity and nourish it just like she nourishes a family, and her husband. And the best way to stay young is to nourish your mind and keep your interests and creativity alive. I m hoping to continue after graduation; keep my business and develop it or work for other fashion companies as well. Q: DO YOU THINK THAT WOMEN IN FIRST-WORLD COUNTRIES HAVE FINALLY ACHIEVED PARITY WITH MEN IN 2016? GRETA I think women are definitely considered more equal in this day and age. My mother was a teenager in the 70 s and she was always very opinionated in defending women s rights and independence. I probably got that from her. I do believe though, that marriage is a love partnership in which everyone has to grow and be supportive of each other. I don t believe that marriage is a business decision but at the same time, it s important that a woman maintains her identity and sense of independence. Q: WHAT HAS MOTHERHOOD TO OLIMPIA AND ANDREA BEEN LIKE FOR YOU? GRETA I love motherhood but it s definitely the hardest job in the world. You care so much for these little human beings and you want to nourish them and help them but you also understand they need to learn. In my opinion, giving them everything is a mistake. I try to remember the way my parents raised me and I try to keep as faithful as possible to that role model. My parents are very loving, simple and practical people. It s not easy to raise children now when the huge amount of information on the internet is telling them the opposite. In my circumstance, having children later in life has equipped me better to cope and I m grateful for that because it s a big job. Q: SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRACTICAL THINGS YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN DEVELOP THE RIGHT VALUE SYSTEMS? GRETA I want them to retain the Italian culture in them. Priorities there are about family and leading a simple life. We go to Italy every summer and hopefully it will keep that fire alive. I would love them to eventually go and study there at some point, but I have a feeling I won t have so much of a say as they grow into young adults. Q: YOU RECENTLY SPENT VALENTINE S WEEKEND AWAY WITH YOUR HUSBAND, ANDREA. TELL US ABOUT THAT. GRETA Yes; it was a great weekend in Paso Robles. We went to a lovely resort, Allegretto, which is part of the Ayres family resorts. Doug Ayres did such a wonderful job in combining the Italian Tuscan feel with other international accents from the East. I loved it, and the countryside around there is beautiful, reminding me of home. The wines are amazing too! Q: FAVORITE FOOD? GRETA Lasagne from Bologna. Q: YOUR BIGGEST LUXURY? GRETA Spending quality time with my husband. Q: FAVORITE FAMILY ACTIVITY? GRETA Spending time in Italy on the beach. Q: FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD? GRETA I love Italy and Assisi is one of my favorite places, as is Sardinia. I also love Moorea in French Polynesia too. Kauai in Hawai I is another spot we love. Q: BEST BEAUTY TIP? GRETA Use sunblock and read! Best way to disguise wrinkles is having something intelligent to talk about! Q: FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME? GRETA Will always be La Dolce Vita by Fellini. Q: YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE? GRETA That technology is not going to replace human connection and human conversations. We need to protect and cherish our relationships. Let s also remember that we are residents of a planet - and besides protecting it - we need to help each other as members of the human race. Children are dying in the Mediterranean Sea everyday escaping the awful reality of the Civil War in Syria and those people need our help. I love it when I hear celebrities like Susan Sarandon advocate for these causes. 54 55
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