Berries x Muses
. lara gessler
We meet Lara in her apartment in Warsaw's Mokotów district.
The apartment is light, sunny, filled with unusual objects that already say a lot about their owner.
After a few minutes of conversation, we feel like we've known each other for a long time. There's no room for artificiality or pretense, the conversation flows naturally in a calm rhythm, we don't have to repeat shots, and everything Lara says sounds like she's prepared for this meeting, even though we've completely surprised her with all our questions.
WHO ARE YOU LARA?
"Right now I most often define myself as a pastry chef and a mother, but actually some time ago I allowed myself to be inconsistent and to do many different things in life and that it's not a bad thing. I just have this need. I really like doing new things and these are things from different fields. I like to create, I just like to create, but I feel best as a pastry chef and as a mother."
I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE INCONSISTENT.
This kind of creative freedom has not always been a part of Lara's personality.
There was a time when she really wanted to work – “for real” – in a team, without the pressure of a last name. She worked every summer since she was 12.
Working in London as a pastry chef – from 6.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. 6 times a week, made her realize that two things were killing her – monotony and the lack of contact with people and the opportunity to see how the effects of her work affected them. And then she realized that she couldn’t live doing the same thing every day and that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. That we no longer live in times when we are defined by the course of study we completed. Lara, for example, is a sociologist and she loves it too. And if it weren’t for her passion for cooking, she might have stayed at the university.
She understood that she could do anything, and the time for "everything" would come when the time was right.
THE MONOTONY AND LACK OF CONTACT WITH PEOPLE ARE KILLING ME.
WHAT MAKES YOU WANT TO CREATE?
"Creativity is always the result of some kind of abundance. And that is why it is most enjoyable to create when we have an abundance of emotions. Some people are affected by an abundance of negative emotions, i.e. strong traumatic events, some are affected by good events. I am clearly one of those who are affected by good events. When I am happy, that is when I draw the most from the world, I want to draw the most from it, I have my eyes wide open and I absorb everything. I also really like talented people and I think that there are a lot of such people, there are a lot of them in Poland too, that is why what is happening on the Polish brand market is great to observe and very, very inspiring.
So apart from the fact that I love travelling, I love art, I love interiors, I love design, I love flowers, I also love people who do things sincerely and with passion and are not afraid to take risks, because this is also a matter of the fact that we really need crazy people, and crazy people inspire us."
WHEN I AM HAPPY, THEN I DRAW THE MOST FROM THE WORLD, I WANT TO DRAW THE MOST FROM IT, I HAVE MY EYES THE WIDEST OPEN AND I ABSORB EVERYTHING
MORNINGS WITH LARA
How we start our day says a lot about us. We were curious about Lara's mornings, what her favorite rituals are. As a young mother, she didn't surprise us that her most important and most beautiful ritual is the moment when she takes her daughter to the bedroom and starts the day with half an hour of cuddling and snuggling with her daughter. Then a shared breakfast - necessarily by candlelight and with sweet, granny tea. Since the three of them are together, shared meals at home have taken on a special meaning.
MINIMALISM or MAXIMALISM?
She chooses maximalism. But the question posed in this way arouses her opposition.
"I have the impression that some terrible harm has been done to people because of the word minimalism. This word has become a catch-all word and I have the impression that everyone is now a minimalist and likes the minimalist style. This is very harmful because it is very imprecise and very broad. I do not consider myself a minimalist, although I like a certain asceticism in style, but it is not the same. I like the austerity of materials, I like natural materials, I like earthy colors, which does not mean khaki or olive. It does not have to. I like stone, I like paper, I like clay very, very much. I am a maximalist because I like good quality. Without snobbery, because there can be wonderful things, high quality not necessarily turbo expensive and I like when there is a lot of beauty, so I stand on the side of maximalism."
Lara follows the same principles when choosing all the objects that surround her. She has no problem being the next owner of something, but she definitely doesn't want to be the last. She chooses high-quality things that will stand the test of time.
"I think that vintage circular fashion, second-hand fashion, whether it's clothing or jewellery, allows us to have things that, because they're second-hand, are at a much better price than if we were to buy new, and to be honest, I wouldn't spend money on a new branded item, and at the same time I can have something with a story that's of great quality, is 20 years old, has been beautifully maintained and I'll either pass it on, or it'll stay in my wardrobe until the end, or it'll be for my daughter."
I LIKE IT WHEN THINGS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A HISTORY, AND ONLY GOOD QUALITY THINGS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE SUCH A HISTORY.”
Her father taught her about heredity. For her 18th birthday, she got a ring that her grandmother had gotten for her 18th birthday, and for her wedding, a ring that was her grandmother's engagement ring. She plans to collect and protect the things she owns, so that Nela can choose what she wants to take over. Just like Lara, she recently dug out beautiful heels from her mother's closet and wears them with pride.
YOU MENTIONED THE RINGS THAT YOU GOT FROM YOUR DAD AND YOU HAVE THEM IN YOUR COLLECTION, ARE THERE ANY THINGS THAT AWAKEN YOU A PARTICULAR SENTIMENT AND ARE IMPORTANT?
"There's one thing that I've had recently. I wish I didn't have it, but I do. It's a watch from my dad, who passed away recently. And it's a watch that I've always remembered because it's from '92. My dad wore it when I was a very little girl and it's a beautiful old Omega on a brown leather strap and that's what I'd like to have with me forever."
Something that is very special among Lara's jewelry is the signet ring. It's a signet ring
with the family coat of arms. Each family member, when they turn 18, gets such a signet ring. It is not hereditary, each person literally takes it with them to the grave. Lara has been waiting for hers for a long time, and in a few years she intends to have one made for her daughter. And despite being the female part of the family, she intends to maintain this tradition.
She wears jewelry every day. She's a big fan of jewelry and attaches great importance to it. On special occasions, she wears jewelry that's fancier, better, older, more festive. But she's a fan of jewelry every day and wears a lot of it.
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The Berries x Muses project is a project where we showcase women who inspire us the most. #berriesmuses
Those who support other women in their work and daily lives, choose unusual paths and achieve success. Women who, through what they do, give strength, inspire and encourage other women to make their own, independent choices.