In an increasingly virtualized world, where we're all consumed by digital keyboards and tablets, many feel the need to slow down, to return to the power of their hands, to the most authentic flavors, to what is genuine and made with the heart. I believe this is the key to the success of the creative personality we'll meet this month. Grace Clerici She is an elegant lady, with a calm style and a welcoming smile that immediately puts you at ease.
We had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time in the magical setting of Villa Erba during the last edition of Horticultural Garden and we were pleasantly captivated by the beauty and quality of its products, all rigorously handcrafted with an almost poetic surgical skill.
Since 2012 Grazia has been running with great passion an artisanal cosmetic laboratory in the province of Bergamo, called Bianca and Me, and specializes in quality soaps made with precious oils, from classic extra virgin olive oil to sweet almond oil, from argan oil to coconut oil. With enviable tenacity, she has managed to give shape and expression to her imagination, grasping the importance of emotion beyond the simple object of consumption.
How did your creative journey begin and how does it influence your lifestyle?
“"Trying to rewind my memories, I believe the creative and artistic aspect has always been present in my way of life. My educational and career choices have been pragmatic and have guided me towards fields where creativity was somewhat marginal, but I have always tried to reserve, whenever possible, spaces where I could continue to cultivate the dreamier side of myself.
When I became a mother, work and family suddenly became irreconcilable, so my professional career suffered an inevitable setback. But I never lost heart because I always firmly believed in the ability to reinvent oneself, cultivate new aspirations, and take a different path to achieve one's dreams. In fact, as soon as the opportunity arose, I created a refuge, “a garden of ideas”, where I can draw inspiration, regenerate myself, and finally start my dream job.
From a brief interlude during my time as a full-time mother, the business soon grew to surprising levels and, over the years, as I gradually had more energy to devote to it, it transformed into a full-fledged job, where technical expertise and creativity could align with impeccable mastery: thus the artisan cosmetics laboratory was born. Bianca and Me, where I produce 100% artisanal soaps.”
Where do you best express your creative side and why?
“"Making soap is absolutely the way I best express my creativity; it's a truly effective recharge. When I finish in the lab, I'm enthusiastic; I want to make a thousand more things; I feel competent. I think creativity, channeled into know-how, is an energy that regenerates us, and my days spent making soap are certainly the perfect incubator for new ideas that I'd like to give concrete form to, continuing in the cosmetics and perfumery fields."”
To be creative you have to be…?
“"Dreamers, the curious, lovers of silence. In silence and inner stillness, the most precious ideas are born, just as in fertile soil, even the most unexpected flowers sprout."”
How does the floral world inspire your creations?
“It's no coincidence that in my previous answer I used the metaphor of the earth generating flowers. Staying connected to the floral world takes me back to my childhood, a necessary condition for nourishing my creativity and preserving that typically childlike wonder at the little things. The world of fantasy that envelops childhood must be protected even as we grow up. In my imagination and in my daily life, flowers are everywhere: I plant them, I care for them, I admire them, I think about them. My products constantly reference botany, from the basic ingredients—vegetable oils and perfumes—to the shapes and decorations. The fragrances I develop in collaboration with a perfume house are united by flowers. In recent years, I've also developed a passion for pressing and drying flowers, which I often use to add the finishing touch to the surfaces of my soaps.”
What emotions would you like to convey with your work?
“"First and foremost, enthusiasm, because what I do is a daily discovery for me. Then, the joy of those who encounter my products, which comes from a smile, a look of wonder, the desire to purchase and use a cosmetic created by my hands and which positively stimulates multiple senses: sight, smell, touch. May it be beautiful to the eyes, but above all, beneficial to the skin. May it bring my philosophy of useful beauty to life, with an allure of nostalgic poetry."”
As the most magical and vibrant season of the year is upon us, Grazia has generously shared with our community a sneak peek of her upcoming Christmas Collection, already available in the newly revamped website's online shop—one more reason to visit and get some inspiration for gift ideas and stay in touch with beauty.
Last but not least, on December 13th and 14th Grazia awaits us with her artisanal creations at the event “Christmas in the Cloister”" at the Diocesan Museum of Milan in Piazza S. Eustorgio. An event you absolutely must mark in your diary, because admiring his artistic creations in person and observing how each creation, the fruit of expert creative mastery, reveals itself as a sensory experience, designed to lend a gentle caress to our beauty routine, is a whole other story.
As we conclude our farewells and extend our heartfelt thanks to Grazia, we hope she continues to immerse herself in her "room of wonders," because in the end, a love of beautiful things always prevails, and the renewed need for things or gestures, made with dirty hands and with a strong human dimension, is today even more a commendable act of courage.
Article Author: Francesca Pera
