LIVINGITALIANSTYLE MELISSA SOLDERA Nickname: Mel Occupation: Digital marketing agency owner of Style Society and part-time Instagrammer/YouTuber (@melissasoldera) Age: 38 Generation: Second Dad from: San Fior (Treviso), Veneto Mom from: Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza), Veneto Raised in: Montreal, Quebec Speaks: Italian, English and French If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? My nonna’s cannelloni What’s an Italian tradition you want to carry on? I would like to carry on being a tight knit family and getting together to have huge meals once a week. What advice would you give five-year-old you? Stop trying to fit in and shine. I grew up downtown as one of the only Italian kids in the neighbourhood and I wanted to fit in with all the other kids so badly. I remember asking my mom to make me ham sandwiches for my lunches to be like everyone else. None of the kids at my school knew what rabbit and polenta was, and I always had to explain what my meals were. I think back on it now and I love that our parents raised us the way they did. Who are you named after? My mom’s mom Favourite Italian expression and why: “Meglio soli che mal accompagnati.” This has been very relevant to me through my entire life and has made me feel better about some pretty rough situations.What do you want your legacy to be? I want to leave this world knowing that I helped and made the lives of people I knew and loved better. I want my daughter to be proud of the person I am. What makes you most proud to be Italian-Canadian? The family values are probably something I’m most proud of. It’s definitely something that stands out living in Canada. I love that people think it’s weird that I see my parents almost every day, but to Italians it’s completely normal.
Makeup: Bianca Delle Donne Photographer: Alessia Pizzanelli Photo assistant: Anthony Liscio Studio: HAVEN creative space
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