Love Dream Win

By Daniela Fargion

In all our lives there are times when we are called upon to face particular challenges; many of these trials we are able to overcome, while others we have to put off because we’re not yet ready for them. On this journey we’re often confronted with the lives of others who serve as mirrors and examples. Stories that make us realise we’re never alone because those same difficulties have already been faced and overcome by exceptional people.
Daniela Fargion has made her strength of will her hallmark; an aspect of her character manifesting itself in a strong and determined woman and enabling her to courageously face up to a life that has been a steep uphill climb from the outset.
Being successful doesn’t always mean winning, but having the strength to get back up on your feet when you fall, and in this extraordinary adventure, together with Daniela we will go through the many falls, but just as many rises, always sustained by her unshakeable strength and confidence that sooner or later results will come.
Strength, talent and determination will be our travelling companions in this true and compelling story of a life marked by the enthusiasm of great successes but also by deep sorrows, overcome with the strength of who knows that in the end love conquers all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bookness
• Release date: Jul 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9791254892756

Book preview

Prologue

Having time to think is scary sometimes. Maybe that's why we give ourselves so much to do all our lives, to drown out that little voice in our heads that won’t stop talking... at least until we decide to listen to it. And maybe at last that time has come. After all, that’s why I’ve found myself writing these pages.

Right now I’m standing in the garden facing my 15th-century villa in the beautiful grounds of the Chianti hills.

A warm September sun lights up my face and the water of the Zen-style swimming pool is casting an infinite play of reflections of the climbing lavender upon the travertine stone and Orosei marble. All around, beautiful white-winged butterflies fly daintily and perch themselves upon the flowers my garden is full of, and three great palm trees on top of a grassy hill remind me of a beautiful Caribbean resort...but I’m actually in Tuscany, amidst olive trees, vineyards, wisterias and elder trees.

It occurs to me that when the 17th century French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal said, 'The world is in your room', he was quite right. But in this case my world is in my garden, and it’s in this paradise I spend my Sunday mornings, surrounded by my beloved plants and in the company of the fawns, every now and then, passing by the olive trees.

It’s not so much morning as dawn, but this is the time I can delight in the sight of small squirrels running among the branches and it’s in these moments, so totally immersed in nature, that I get the feeling nothing out there exists anymore and the real world is all here, in my garden; with my trees, my plants and my flowers... I’m constantly inspired by so much beauty.

Even my attire, consisting of a long black cotton dress, simple but elegant and with long slits, my  suntanned face and arms and my manicured hands without jewellery, reflect my minimalist attitude of the moment.

Even though time seems to stand still here, I realise in the flash of an eye it’s nearly lunchtime, and while waiting for my lunch to be served in the shade of my beloved plants, I sip some excellent Blanc De Rosis from a fine goblet, my favourite wine. This, for me, is one of the best parts of the day because good food always has the power to warm my heart.

My domestic staff and workers come from the Philippines, but they know my needs to the letter and, thanks to my advice, have also become excellent chefs, always taking care to prepare exquisite dishes according to the art of good and healthy cooking. And I love wholesome food.

But right now a grey cloud is creeping over the horizon, as if wanting to come and overshadow my soul. I suddenly feel anxious and lonely and, and not being able to do anything about it, my mind starts precipitating into dangerous and tumultuous thoughts.

My whole life has been a never-ending struggle, torn between two sides of me, complementary but opposed. I know I’m a combination of creativity and business, of art and marketing. I also know I’m romantic and fragile in my private life, but at the same time strict and inflexible at work. It hasn't always been easy (and still isn't) to reconcile these two aspects of my personality.

Mine is a story of personal redemption, where everything I have achieved has been made possible often at the cost of having had to fight against the whole world. Like a modern version of Cinderella and after a painful childhood, I decided to spread my wings and do all I could to fly high. Very high... far away from disappointments. I’ve reached heights I could only have hoped for in my dreams, but certain hurts are still there, ready to bite and sweep away everything I’d ever dreamed of at any moment.

Fortunately my dark thoughts last but a brief moment and all sadness disappears, carried away by that cloud blocking out the distant view.  See how in that strange moment, I can no longer see the beauty all around me because all of a sudden it feels like I’m in another dimension, as if I’m living another life where I can no longer even feel the weight of my body any more and the air is saturated with the scent of roses, making me feel as if I’m suspended in time.

A great light ahead of me slowly turns into a transparent image and its faded form moves towards me until I’m surrounded by it and it embraces me. At this point I hear a soft voice whispering these words to me: Don't be afraid. It's me, Mummy.

Thanks to that sweet voice, I go back to being happier than I have for a long time because I can feel her caressing and calming me down, I can feel that all fears and worries will disappear like magic.

Her voice is like the distant echo of a lullaby and a renewed sense of peace pervades my whole being.

My dear mother is asking me why I’ve waited so long to call her.... why I’ve had to suffer so much before turning towards her and speaking to her through my soul. Now I can remember only brief and heartfelt moments of that magical communication, consisting of inner dialogues and motherly suggestions, but with the conviction that my mother had definitely touched my heart.

I think it was as a result of this episode, so special and full of feeling, that I decided to write my story in order to read it all over again like you would a diary. I think if I needed a sign, this certainly was the right one. This is the perfect time to tell my truth, so as not to forget who I am and what I’ve done to be who I am. I’m doing it for whoever wants to listen to me, but I’m also doing it for myself.

I’m also doing it for all those women who are dominated by their husbands, work or fears. What I want for them all is for them to overcome their fear, so they can reawaken, set themselves free and even rebel when necessary. This is a hymn of redemption for all those women, all those people afraid they’re not going to make it. I want to tell them they can .. even if they start off with very little means, as I did. And I’d like whoever's reading these words to start believing in themselves, if they haven’t yet done so, so that they’ll be able to write their own life story too.

Yes, it’s you I’m speaking to, dear readers. All that follows has also been written for you, so you too will be able to fulfil your dreams.

Henry Ford, the car man, used to say 'it is not so much being smart or intelligent, but willpower that gets you there'.

There are no precise rules laid down for the best way to lead your life. But these forty years of hard work in constructing myself and my world, I’ve definitely realised that in order to succeed and achieve what we set out to do, there are rules to be followed... at least in the world of business. The most important one is to never give up, learning every day from both mistakes and successes. You must work hard, with no excuses, no ifs and buts. We mustn’t do anything to impress anyone other than ourselves, but be amazed at what we manage to do and try to do even better. Always.

The great Ancient Roman philosopher, Annéo Seneca, used to say: 'You cannot command the wind, but you can direct the sails'. And that’s how I have tried to live my life and become the woman I am today...by directing my sails towards new and exciting routes.

So know that this will require many sacrifices and unwavering willpower. And whenever all seems lost, we must all get back on our feet and try again... and again and again, until we’ve reached our goal. Anyone can do it if they really want to... because we’re all here to fulfil a mission, and finding the meaning of our lives is part of that mission.

"I’ve had this strength, I thought I’d lost it at one point but then I found it again. That’s why I want to tell you about the Daniela of today, to finally rediscover and never let her̀ go. That’s the only way you can have the illusion of living forever'.

Chapter 1

All lives are in a sense like films or stories that deserve to be told, and it hasn’t been uncommon for me to find myself thinking that what I was going through was too absurd not to have a well thought out script behind it. Even now, there are moments when I look around for the famous fourth wall, waiting for a director hiding in the shadows to shout the famous 'Stop' and get everyone to have a break. And there have certainly been no lack of occasions where a pause would have been providential.

But that stop will never come unless it's us who decide that things must change and the screenplay of our lives should take a different direction.

I have done a lot of things in my life, realised many dreams, but I’ve also had to overcome a lot of difficulties. I’ve met people who were truly extraordinary and others who were absolutely deplorable, and it’s taken me a long time to realise that I was the one who had to take the helm of my life. Life has given me a lot, but taken away to the same extent. "You can't always get what you want" sang Mick Jagger; in short, you can't always have everything... but today I’ve got a very successful business and five wonderful children and they are my everything.

That's why I think this is a story that deserves to be told. I started from scratch, I’ve never had a father because mine left his family before I was born. I got married very young with a husband who made me end up in hospital dozens of times to then abandon me (him too) when I was only 19 and with already two small children to raise. Those were very different times and certainly much more complicated for a "ragazza madre".*

At that point, though, I didn't want to go back home, so as not to have to admit I was wrong, so I found myself a job in the competitive world of fashion and, over time, with perseverance and determination, built up a network of relationships, leading me to organise - for the first time in the history of Italian fashion - important fashion shows, first in Florence with Pitti donna and then in the rest of Italy.

By the time I was 25, I was already a Producer for the Italian TV channel Rai1 and designed all the fashion shows at that time taking place from Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Navona in Rome, which hadn’t existed before then and which no one else had ever done. Over the years I brought the world of fashion closer to the world of show business, organising events for the Venice Film Festival and Sanremo as well as several expos around the world. I did the first co-production between RAI and TF1, the French TV and the first meeting between Chanel and Versace. I discovered Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana. I even invented, made and marketed the handbag hook all over the world, which I then sold to all the most exclusive stores and important designers.

During that time I also opened the first Outlets in Italy and abroad, collaborating with all the biggest names in fashion; I opened shops all over South America (Venezuela; Argentina; Brazil; Chile) and a few years later in France on the Côte d'Azur, next to the Casinos which stayed open until 4am. Then I also created my personal collection under the name of Daniela Fargion, placing my creations alongside those of the most important and prestigious Italian and international designers. And so much more.

But dear readers… forgive me for this impersonal list of achievements. I want this story to be of support and inspiration to all those people (especially women) who, for all kinds of reasons, think they can’t cope with or bounce back from a difficult situation. Of course... I might also confess that I’ve also emphasised all this to satisfy a