Celebrity mum interview: Temptation Island star and artist Georgette Polizzi opens her heart to London Mums

Celebrity Interviews

Published on Monday, 21 November 2022 14:37

Last Updated on 21 November 2022

Monica Costa

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At the event organised in October in Milan by Nuna – an international brand manufacturing high-end baby gear – in honour of Italian Artist, Fashion Designer, Influencer, Stylist, and Entrepreneur Georgette Polizzi, guests were offered brushes and colours and were encouraged to spray-paint the walls and furniture of a small white living room available for the occasion. This experience was very liberating for myself and everyone else.

Georgette wanted people to break the taboo that the walls of houses cannot be used to express one’s creativity. She is a very special talent. She suffered a lot in her life but, despite everything, she loves life ‘excessively’ (in her own words). The quality that most distinguishes Georgette is humility. A much-appreciated quality, but also rare nowadays. We live in times that see the incessant growth of individualism fomented by a social media frenzy.

She thrives on social media, though. Despite her participation in the programme Temptation Island and her popularity on Instagram, Georgette is sweet, present, true, authentic and genuine. Her beauty comes from within. Her personality moved me. I hope it excites you too.

MC: Georgette, the party organised by Nuna in your honour was beautiful. I saw you excited, surrounded by many friends and your great loves, your little girl and your husband. Guests let themselves go, and you shed tears of joy. Showing emotions is a sign that we care about people.

What inspired the design of the new NUNA line? How did you create this particular line?

GP: It all started from an error. As often in my life, the best things happen to me by chance. I had chosen NUNA as a line of strollers ahead of the birth of my daughter Sole (which in Italian means Sun). But I saw them as too neutral. So, I splashed them with colour. I used the colours of the rainbow, which excite anyone. The rainbow is not only joyful in itself but is also the symbol of peace, and in recent times it has also become a symbol of inclusiveness.

I quickly realised that, given that NUNA items are so robust and of high quality, the colour didn’t hold and everything came off. So, I called NUNA and explained what I had done and how I could go about customising my stroller. They saw my project and loved it. They then decided to make it a reality and the new collection signed by me was born.

 

MC: You are really creative and entrepreneurial. But I also like the openness of NUNA to innovative ideas. What’s next for this collaboration?

GP: If I say everything, the people of NUNA will kill me (She giggles). Let’s just say we are not stopping at the stroller line. You will see many more products arriving on the market in the Spring of 2023.

MC: When did you start painting?

GP: This also happened by chance. My life has been ‘blessed’ by many lucky mistakes. 20 years ago, I was in an unfavourable financial situation. I didn’t even have the money to buy a can of tuna. I lived in a borrowed apartment. With my clumsiness, I spilled coffee on a white wall. I was desperate because it wasn’t my home, so I went to a shop and for 5 euros I bought some wall paint. I started painting the wall and got my shirt dirty. The colour didn’t come off.

I put a photo on social media and people went crazy. And I thought to myself: Maybe if I make shirts with dirty colours, people will buy them’. And from that moment, everything kicked off for me. Thanks to a ‘mistake’! Painting professionally was born after my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. I suddenly lost the sensitivity of my hands but I acquired the ability to paint. I remember that one of my collaborators, Marco, encouraged me to try to make drawings because he saw the potential in me. This unblocked me and made me realise that painting came naturally to me, even though I didn’t study art.

MC: You are a bit like Forrest Gump who created a line of T-shirts by accident while running. You are our Italian Forrest Gump. Despite your difficult childhood and illness, your energy and motivation are huge. Where do you find all this strength to face the challenges of everyday life?

GP: Those who live close to me know how much effort it costs me. But I’m madly in love with life, despite everything. Because I’ve learned over the years that if you spend your life being angry with her, she doesn’t smile at you. If, on the other hand, you smile at her even in adversity and learn to love her, to truly love her, you live in a completely different way. So, everything that is bad, I try to convert it into good and to get the energy to live to the full. If you spend a day feeling sorry for yourself, you will attract even more negative energy.

If, on the other hand, you stay positive, have a nice glass of red wine, eat something delicious and watch a fun movie, everything changes. This is my way of life. I’m a fan of the book The Secret, it changed my life. I’ve read it several times. If you read it at the right time, with the right mind, it will change your life. If, on the other hand, you read it just to read it, nothing changes.

 

 

 

 

MC: I have always believed in the mantra of The Secret. It is basically the law of universal attraction. Positivity is good energy that attracts other energy. But it’s also a matter of personality.

GP: It is my life mantra.

 

MC: What kind of mother are you to Sole?

GP: I am very apprehensive. I’m always anxious that something might happen to her, so I never leave her alone. But I am also a very stimulating mother. Sole looks like a one-year old baby despite being only 8 months old. She does many things and I enjoy spending time with her. I’m an engaging mum. I want my daughter to live a life full of colour and emotions. I hope to be a point of reference for her.

 

MC: You are sunshine to her. Sun is a beautiful name for a baby girl. What do you like most about motherhood?

GP: What I love the most about motherhood is that it has brought a sense of responsibility into my life. Before the arrival of Sun, I would go home, take my pants off, throw them in the air and leave them on the floor for a week, without a care in the world. Now I’m super organised. I wake up, do the laundry, prepare the broth to make all the baby food for Sole. I don’t buy anything ready-made.

But before I thought I’d be the microwave-it-all type of mum. Now every day I tide up, wash her clothes, put away everything. I’ve really become a housewife at 360 degrees. I wasn’t like that before. So, motherhood brought order to my life.

 

MC: When a child is born, something is triggered in us women… We just want to give our creatures the best.

GP: Absurd things happen. Even sleep changes. I didn’t think I could handle the sleepless nights. And instead I always wake up at the right time without problems.

MC: What are your secret dreams ‘in the drawer’?

GP: I have a 112-storey building with lots of rooms full of drawers filled with my dreams.

 

MC: Those who love life have many dreams to achieve. Let’s just open a couple of drawers for today.

GP: My biggest dream is to sign important collaborations with brands like the one for NUNA. One day I would like to see the name Balenciaga by Georgette Polizzi. I would love to have the chance to put my art at the service of fashion. On the other hand, I’d like to ‘customise’ furniture, accessories and cars. I’m already working on it.

MC: Let’s open another drawer. What dream would you like to fulfil in the future on a personal level?

GP: I’m telling you this even though I know it’s not feasible.

I would like to heal from multiple sclerosis.

 

MC: Everything is possible. Medicine is making great progress. It would be a great gift for your family.

GP: I didn’t think so, but being healthy would be my biggest dream. I want it especially for them. I believe in it. In autoimmune diseases, having a positive mindset is essential. The doctors were amazed to see me standing up soon after my first diagnosis saw me paralysed.

Anyway, Monica, when I get better, I’ll call you.

 

MC: I count on it. I’ll throw you a spectacular party in London.

GP: Every promise is a debt. Speaking of London…. I saw the Nuna advert at Harrods. What a dream. I look forward to meeting you with this perspective…

 

Georgette Polizzi’s limited-edition rainbow splash collection is available now exclusively from Harrods.