This past summer, a little boredom, creativity, and the need for productivity led Maddie Cioffi, a senior, to venture into the fashion world. In June, Maddie began making necklaces for herself. Her necklaces piqued the interest of her sister’s friends, who liked them enough to offer to buy them. Maddie began making necklaces to order and delivering them to friends. By July, her small business, Bella Vita Jewels, was up and running. She now delivers handmade necklaces and bracelets that she sells on her Instagram account, @bellavitajewels.

Where did the name come from? Maddie wanted to come up with a name that stood out, as well as a name that connected her to her Italian background. She decided on “Bella Vita,” which translates to “Beautiful Life” in Italian. When asked if she considered Bella Vita a success, she replied, “It has had its success, and I honestly just started it for fun. If someone wanted a necklace, it was an added bonus. For me to have sold one I consider it a success; it means someone actually liked what I designed, and that means a lot.”

Although Bella Vita has been a fun job and fulfilling hobby for her, Maddie will be letting Bella Vita Jewels go after this year because she has other plans. She has big dreams for her future in the fashion world. For now, she intends on majoring in fashion merchandising and pursuing the business and marketing side of fashion. When asked more about her future fashion career, she said, “My dream is to live in New York City and work in the fashion industry, so I definitely intend to continue to do whatever I can with fashion in my future.” Whatever the future may hold, it will be great.