Laura, you’ve got a very interesting and unusual name. How do you feel about it? Can we say that the name lights the way of a person?
I like my name very much. My father had heard it in a movie or series and decided to call me Laura, which means ripe with laurels. I can undoubtedly say that the name plays a vital role in a person’s life. You have posed the question correctly: ‘How do you feel about it?’ I feel good about it because I can’t even imagine myself with another one. It might have come from above for me, and my father turned on the right channel in the right time.
At this moment, you run the international modeling and acting school Dolce Vita in New York. What is your main aim of going in for such an exciting and, at the same time, complex business?
My main aim is to bring joy to the children, make them always smile. I like it when they’re happy at the parties – they run, jump, have fun, take photos – I am so glad to witness all that. I love children, and I want their dreams to come true. These are not just the words. I’ve always wanted to be a model or a singer when I was in my teens, but my parents haven’t approved my choice and haven’t paid the right attention to my dreams. I consider myself the one who makes my own dreams come true. I always ask parents to provide their kids with an opportunity to choose their favorite profession themselves and follow their dreams. That is why I would like New York children to have the same opportunities as others in our schools worldwide.
Laura, you are the creator of a massive Bambino Fashion Day event. Tell us briefly about it.
The event is organized to support young designers. Bambino means ‘baby’ in Italian, so it’s also dedicated to our talented students who can officially demonstrate their skills at a real runway. We hold the event once a year, in November. I am happy that Bambino is now famous globally. More than 20 designers and 200 models are usually involved annually.
Have you developed any new character traits during such responsible work?
I have been an entrepreneur since I was 24, and the older I get, the less I let myself do things I would have done before without any hesitation. The lifestyle is different because I must control and check myself, make decisions fast and correctly, become more responsible, and be very attentive to what I say. I’m lucky that our US based modeling and acting school team strongly believes in their business.
What would you recommend to parents who bring their children to your school and agency for the first time?
Believe in success and it will definitely come.