#InPartnershipwithMCCOT
Gloria Sapienza
The Rown Club
Milan
Italy
Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes decades to finally reach one's safe haven and feel fulfilled. In life, after passing through a rollercoaster, there always comes a time when you have to stop worrying and you just have to follow your gut and your heart to get to your real you, the happy one. And if you are born creative with a a sharp aesthetic sense, you have to let your creativity grow in a way or another. You have to fully, and with conviction, embrace who you truly are. Without any compromise.
Proudly Milanese doc- She admits that she could never live anywhere else because she loves her cozy routine- Gloria Sapienza has been a creative mind since she was a little one. She was born and raised in an entrepreneurial and artisanal environment, in the district of Sant'Ambrogio, that is nestled in the heart of the Italian metropolis and very popular for its traditional fair “Oh Bej Oh Bej”.
Her grandfather Salvatore Sapienza was the visionaire who patented the telescopic ladder. His firm had the privilege to keep the key of the magnificent Duomo to have easy access any time service work was needed, even at night.
At an early age- when she was about 8 or 9 years old- Gloria became aware of her creative and artistic side. In this regard, she remembered- laughing- that each time she entered a room at some friends' or family's home, she couldn't stop herself from reviewing the furniture, finding the wrong combinations, as well as the strengths before imagining in her head a brand new layout. What started as a simple childish game quickly turned itself, gradually and organically, into the funny, but real obsession for interior design and Aesthetics of a very creative and passionate- she is of the Leo sign- adult woman.
At the young age of 24, when unfortunately her mother passed away, out of the blue, probably as a sort of effective alternative therapy to process her sorrow, when walking around, Gloria strangely started seeing shapes of hearts everywhere and captured them with her camera. A first step that allows her mind and creativity totally free of exploring and experiencing. Listening to her gut, and looking at the world with an arty eye, she found Beauty in everyday life.
As a talented young self-taught budding photographer, she had the opportunity to collaborate with magazines and captured unique moments behind the scenes, in the backstage. When make-up artists are doing some magic, models are resting, reading a book, listening to music, or chatting with one another. Capturing such moments of truth where people are themselves, real and spontaneous and do not pose in front of the camera but, on the contrary, show off their genuine beauty, is exactly what Gloria appreciates. Kind of candid shots are her favorite ones.
Along the way, she has let her creativity grow and become a full-time job as a trained and skilled interior designer. Becoming a wife - she got married in a lighthouse in 2015- and then a mother, forced her to rebalance everything in her life and find the perfect way of keeping nurturing and satisfying her fertile creativity. Offering consultancy as a creative director was the next smart move.
She worked hard as the curator of two projects that unfortunately did not become reality. Beautiful ones, but apparently too utopian. The first one, called “Observatorio”, was about the recovery through the 'orizzonte fari' call of a former maritime signal tower to be transformed into a hotel, art gallery and restaurant. The second one named“Lung” was a project of prefabricated villas with greenery designed by a botanist to create a system that can be multiplied, reduce pollution, and allow people to live in the city as if they were in the countryside. Despite the real disappointment, as a very fatalistic person, Gloria is now convinced that it was not her destiny, So she has no regrets and the time spent was not wasted at all. She learned a lot.
During the pandemic of covid-19, she started seeking female founders of beautiful creative projects, involving exclusively women, on IG. Other talented creative women she could connect with and why not, collaborate in the near future.
Even if she admits to being a shy person, she found the courage to get in touch with some of them. Then the idea of founding the ROWN Club- a name inspired by "A Room of One's Own", an extended essay by Virginia Woolf, first published in 1929, came instinctively.
Not the typical private club usually for men, but a safe place where the Rowners (a limited number by choice), a group of female creatives and entrepreneurs who share the same life and work core values, can connect on a deeper level once a month. Hosted in a place chosen by one of them. The Rown Club must be considered as a warmly, intimate, not-to-be-missed and long-awaited rendez-vous.
To successfully carry out her project, at the very beginning, the founder was able to rely on a closed-knit and trusted circle of partners-in-crime and founding members like Italian Designer Greta Pininfarina, Iole Pellion di Persano, founder of Recontemporary and Antonella Pescetto, founder of the magazine Orlando Tales.
Since the club was established, as Mrs The Rown, Gloria plans herself, with dedication, monthly cosy evenings during which to create beautiful memories and synergies and potential collaborations, get inspired by each other, exchange expertise, share experiences and useful tips, sometimes even secrets with women you sincerely trust and who could surely become friends of a lifetime. The club is also a way for some foreign members to connect with locals because sometimes Milan can be particularly cold, when you are from outside the city or the country.
Gloria has definitely found her own path. She is already making a difference. Putting humans first, showing empathy and being able to empower and support other creatives has truly changed her life for the better. It has been a good therapy for her soul and a booster for her creativity. Teaming up made her stronger and more confident. She is grateful for this new journey of hers in company of the Rowners. The Rown Club is her second "home sweet home" now.
