The world needs happy people, and happiness despite any problems you might have comes from a personal choice within each of us. We cannot know what someone is going through, so let's try to be kind to one with another. Simonetta Lein
"Umberta this is Simonetta, The Wishmaker." "Simonetta this is Umberta. Let's talk."
I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to a particularly inspiring and striking woman; just one day later I was on the phone with her. You can really tell when a person is great by the way she approaches you. Umberta was kind; she got back to my questions in a single day, and immediately made herself available for me. We spoke for almost an hour. I knew that Umberta Gnutti Beretta is married to Franco Beretta. I knew that she is a philanthropist. I knew she loves fashion and she is often involved in major fashion events. What I did not know is the person behind all these achievements. I found someone dedicated to others in a very genuine way. All the philanthropic and charitable projects she carries out, she does so because she really wants to. She is also immensely involved with the art world. Recently she was able to help the artist Christo in an amazing art installation called "the floating piers" in Lake Iseo, in Northern Italy, comprising100,000 meters of shimmering yellow fabric floating on the water.
Umberta allowed the land art artist to use her husband's family isle, San Paolo, to be used as part of this art project so that people could enjoy for free the feeling of walking on water. Umberta knows she is privileged she is wealthy and beautiful. She is well aware of what it means that she married Mr Beretta. We had a long conversation about it. Beretta recently signed a deal to be the top distributor for the US police, and also the Olympics saw many athletes compete with sports weapons winning with a Beretta.
"If someone wants to kill, then he or she will use anything to achieve that purpose. The problem is in the fact that society has to cure mental problems. Guns without people do not harm anybody. I married my husband because I know he is a good man, we share many ideals together. We do not make mass destructive weapons, we help the police to help citizens every day, we create good tools for athletes, there is a big difference. With what we make we are very committed to making many charity projects happen and that is what I like the most."
We both come from Italy, where we don't have such a thing as the second amendment; weapons as they are considered in the US are not in our culture. I personally don't have one and neither does anyone in my family. But I respect other people's opinions and the right to self-defense, if you find yourself in a position where you are called upon to defend yourself or your family. Many police officers carry out their work every day with honor and save lives, and this is also due to the Beretta family. I personally wish that in 2016 we would have become so evolved so as not to need to protect ourselves but sadly that is not the case. I do agree with Umberta that the problem many times lies with violence that seems inherent within our society. Our governments unfortunately still have a long way to go.
Umberta, also thanks to her husband's business, has a wealthy status, but instead of living a life of luxury, she rolls up her sleeves and acts to promote charities, and to impact people with art. She creates so much good and I feel very honored to have discovered more about this exceptional woman.
When you were a child, did you wish for the career and for the life that you have manifested today?
Not really. As I child I wanted to be a vet because I loved horses and dogs. The choice to live the life I am living came much later. It was after marrying my husband and understanding that there was no real need for me to concentrate on something that would make more profit for my family or myself. I think I really understood who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do only when I was in my thirties, and I am very thankful I was in the position to be able to do so. I have ever since then dedicated most of my time and part of my revenue to philanthropy. Focusing on the arts, and social issues.
**Umberta is active in defending women against violence; she participated in Convivio, which is an enormous fashion fundraising event to support AIDS research. She built with her husband houses in Birmania, she helped the hospital in her home city of Brescia to reach 120,000 euros to buy an efficient ambulance to save lives, she helped build a center for teenagers in difficulties, with the Teen Projects. The list goes on and on, and to me as an activist it is important to highlight what she does and give her all the credit. It is fundamental that in 2016 we share information about people doing good in this planet. I strongly support the "doing good" factor and the energy that it generates; I know how hard it is and I want to personally thank Umberta for getting "dirty" and helping this planet. As the founder of the Wishwall Foundation I am looking for people like you. If you are still passionate about horses and dogs I have to introduce you to my mom - you two will have a lot of fun!
Name a wish that you had for your life or for humanity that finally came true.
I have many big wishes for humanity and none has come true unfortunately. I had a simple but quite big wish for my life too, and that was to be able to spend my time with the people I like and be supported by my family and so far, this has been granted. I also had the ambition to try to make people's lives a little better, and I work on that every day. In different ways, offering my help to an art project that people will enjoy, or helping less fortunate people in general. With the belief that I cannot change the world, but I can try to give people temporary happiness.
If I could go back to my twenties with the energy and the vision of today I would be the happiest person in the world. I could have done more of what I am doing today and I would love that. What I wouldn't change is the position I was put in. Which I am very aware is a very privileged one. I love my country and the culture that I have been exposed to by growing up in Italy, and at the same time. I am very grateful for the parents that I have had because they have encouraged me to look far, travel and be open to exploring different cultures. This is a wish come true.
**You changed the world in many ways and yes you donated happiness. I have your same ambition, to try to leave this planet a bit better than I found it. To paraphrase John Lennon: you are not the only one and we hope that many people will join us.
If you were granted one wish for humanity or for our planet, what would it be?
Fairness.
If you could go back in time and ask one question from anyone from history, who would you want to meet and what question would you ask?
I don't particularly like to look back. I would be much more interested in being able to pose a question to someone living in the future. I am fascinated by progress and technology. The use of Internet we make today was unimaginable for me in my teen years. The access to information a teen has today is something I couldn't have even dreamed of at their age, I would like to be able to see how this will develop in the future or know if something else, just as unimaginable as the internet was to me in my teen years will come up. Something that will reshape society's habits like the Internet has. Or like the industrial revolution did many years before the Internet.
**This is the first time that someone has told me about going into the future. I am fascinated by revolutions, those actions that change the course of history forever. Internet is our big revolution, the invention that is starting to shape the world because it's far harder to keep untruths hidden any more thanks to social media. Anybody can now make themselves heard, and if you have something interesting to say people will follow. I would ask the person from the future to help me with my wish for tele-transportation - something I really want to see. I know one day it will be possible; scientist have already done it with a neutrino and proved it can disappear and appear somewhere else; so we just need to cover an entire 1.77 meters of woman's neutrinos and make them be in two or more places at the same time. Can we start thinking about that?
Please tell me what influences your unique sense of style?
Everything. I am easily influenced by everything that surrounds me and that attracts my attention. I am extremely curious, I observe other people, spend hours looking for inspiration on social networks, I enjoy spending time with creative people such as artists, fashion designers, and people who work with images, when it comes to sense of style in terms of things I wear I like to be able to keep a balance between norms and individuality and I try to wear something that gives me good energy. I am highly attracted by beautiful things in general. Objects, accessories clothes, and even people.
** Wearing things that bring you good energy it is an excellent tip to remember every day before starting our day.
Who is your favorite fashion designer or brand right now and why?
I would say Tom Ford, for many years now. Because it is never loud but always perfect, very rigorous but sexy.
What is your fashion mantra?
It takes the same amount of effort to get into ugly clothes than it takes to get into pretty clothes, so you might as well wear something pretty.
**Amen to that my fashionista friend.
What is your final message for our readers?
Wear your own oxygen mask before trying to help others.
**I love this woman and her sense of humor. In this last phrase, she said something amusing, but very true: we first need to be happy and OK with ourselves. Then, and only then, can we think about being effective for others. The world needs happy people, and happiness despite any problems you might have comes from a personal choice within each of us. We cannot know what someone is going through, so let's try to be kind to one with another. Thank you so much my great warrior woman, I appreciate your courage and soul.
Thank you so much for this interview to Gaia Ceccaroli. It is great to have you as part of my team, a big shout out to you.
As always, make your wishes come true.
From Philadelphia, The Celebrity Wishmaker Simonetta Lein
Credits: William Russell-Edu, Collaborator. Alessandro Dobici, Photographer