Refreshing - aspirational - inclusive, a lot of adjectives that describe the universe of Lemon Magazine, but we could quote way more qualities. Playtime is glad to collaborate with Lemon by offering you inspiring interviews. In this one, discover the family of Eleonora Brunacci Di Vaio and Mariano Di Vaioa that talks about their day-to-day life and a lot more. So join us in a friendly chat.

La Bella Famiglia

Mariano Di Vaio is a 31-year-old blogger, fashion designer, and actor. He has been a brand ambassador for Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, and Calvin Klein and is considered one of the most beautiful Italian men of all time!
In 2015 he married Eleonora Brunacci in Castello di Procopio and together they chose to live in Perugia, far from the frenzy of a big city.

They have the most beautiful kids: Nathan Leone, Leonardo Liam, and Filiberto Noah.
If this isn’t an inspirational family, we don’t know what is!

By Bárbara Perino
Photography courtesy of Mariano Di Vaio and Eleonora Brunacci

LEMON Magazine [LEMON]: How do you deal with having such an amazing and gorgeous family?
Mariano Di Vaio [M.D.V]: I truly love my family and they mean the world to me. They truly complete me. I’ve realised that even if I don’t have the simplest professional life, it’s totally worth it because my kids will grow up with an attentive father and that’s the most important thing for me.

[LEMON]: What’s your family’s daily routine?
[M.D.V]: The most exciting part of my job is that it’s always different and I can spend a lot of time with my family. Before the work day starts, I love to spend time with my babies early in the morning with a shared grooming routine. They use baby oil, I use aftershave, everyone in front of the mirror before the day starts. A real boys routine. Actually, my perfect kind of day is golfing with my family, knowing that my company is going great and everyone I love is fine.

[LEMON]: How do you deal with this pandemic as a family?
[M.D.V]: In my life in general and even more during challenging times like the lockdown, what gives me real strength is family and faith. When all my family is gathered around a table and I know that everybody is fine, an inner kind of strength gives me hope and confidence that everything’s going to be ok. As a father and husband, I have to say that my family is more a source of joy and happiness than a challenge.

[LEMON]: We all hope 2021 will be a better year. Any plans that were postponed in 2020?
[M.D.V]: COVID19 definitely changed lots of plans. We’re now working to make everything happen anyway, trying to get back to normal... but I still can’t reveal too much!

[LEMON]: Congratulations on your beautiful children. How old are they?
Eleonora Brunacci [E.B]: Thank you, that’s very kind. Nathan Leone, the oldest, was born in November 2016; Leonardo Liam was born in June 2018; Filiberto Noah was born in September 2019. The last two are very close. They called me the permanently pregnant woman!

[LEMON]: Tell us a bit about their personalities?
[E.B]: Leone is a really good boy. He’s so sweet and loving with his little brothers and he tries to set a good example. Leonardo is the funniest one. He’s a bomb of energy, always smiling and joyful. He’s Leone’s best friend – they’re inseparable. Filiberto is a tornado! We can’t relax when he’s around.

[LEMON]: Do they attend a normal Italian school or an international school?
[E.B]: Leone is the only one going to school. Mariano already speaks English with the kids, so we chose to make them attend an international school.

[LEMON]: Personality wise, are they more like daddy or mummy?
[E.B]: Leone is exactly like me, while Leonardo’s personality seems to be closer to Mariano’s. Filiberto is still too young to say...

[LEMON]: Does any of them want to be a model like daddy?
[M.D.V]: They’re already models for Nohow, our brand!

[LEMON]: What’s the one thing your kids do that drives you guys crazy?
[M.D.V]: I think seeing them not to get along. For us, as a family, it’s so important to be supportive and close.

[LEMON]: What are the most important values you want to pass on to your children?
[M.D.V]: The most important message I would like to share with them is to truly enjoy authentic moments. For example, phones are banned at the dinner table. I don't want to send a message that digital life is better than real life, so I choose to not share everything. I don't want me or my kids to lose track of reality. Connection to reality is very important and it allows you to tell real stories. The temptation on social media is to tell fake stories based on what people want to see. In the long term, I don't think this kind of glittery fake world works.

[LEMON]: Do you guys travel a lot together?
[M.D.V]: Of course! I always try to involve my family in my business trips. I know it’s easier now than it will be in the future because the kids are still very young. We will see how we manage in the future...

[LEMON]: What is your favourite destination for a family vacation?**
[M.D.V]: I have spent my summers in Sardinia for as long as I can remember. It’s my happy place.

[LEMON]: And where else in the world do you look forward to experiencing?
[M.D.V]: I lived between London and New York in my modelling years and I have travelled the world, but there’s no place like my hometown – Perugia. That’s the city where we chose to live.

[LEMON]: Any projects for us to look forward to?
[M.D.V]: I’m co-producing a thriller movie in Hollywood.

[LEMON]: Mariano, you are one of the most successful models of our time. How do you manage family time with work?
[M.D.V]: I involve my family in my business and I always ask them to travel with me. The most important part of my job is authenticity because genuine communication is the only way to be successful in the digital world in the long term.

[LEMON]: Modelling is not your full-time job, you also have other businesses and partnerships. What can you tell us about them?
[M.D.V]: Modelling has allowed me to travel the world and has made me feel deeply in touch with the people who follow me. But I also love the creative part of my job as a fashion entrepreneur. I love to experiment with new ideas in fashion! I own two companies: Hairbello and Nohow.

[LEMON]: Is Eleonora involved in your businesses?
[M.D.V]: Of course, we are literally inseparable!

[LEMON]: Eleonora, how do you deal with having such a well-known and hot husband (laughs)?
[E.B]: People always ask me this! The truth is that after a while you just get used to it! I know I’m very lucky, not because of his appearance, but for his amazing soul.

[LEMON]: Eleonora, we were checking out your jewellery collection and loved it. Where do you find the inspiration for your designs?
[E.B]: Since I was young my family has owned a jewellery shop and I remember being amazed by it all. I always told myself that one day I would turn my interest into a job and design my own jewellery collection…so here I am!

[LEMON]: You guys are super stylish. Do you have any favourite brands?
[E.B]: Dolce & Gabbana perfectly embrace our concept of Italianity. For us, this means values like family, friendship and that unique baroque elegance recognised around the world.

[LEMON]: And for the kids?
[M.D.V]: Our children are the face of the Nohow kids collection! We love to dress them with those stylish clothes.

[LEMON]: Do you follow any family diet?
[M.D.V]: My rule for keeping in shape is an hour at the gym every day. Scrupulously, methodically. Day after day. If you miss a session, you have to make up for it. Physique is unforgiving. You can see right away if it's been neglected. That's why I have my gym at home and I always choose hotels with a gym. I work out, no matter if it's at night, but I don’t follow any specific diet.

[LEMON]: What can you tell us that nobody else knows?
[M.D.V]: Let me confess a secret: when I was a teenager looking for his place in the world, I lived between NY and London working as a model for Abercrombie. I was represented by a big London agency. I spent a lot of time with other models like me, talking about our dreams and goals. We all agreed that the best thing a male model could ever wish for was to be the face of a DG fragrance. Now, I am the face of K – a DG fragrance. Honestly, I’m really enjoying my position now. It’s literally a dream come true for a self-made man like me.

[LEMON]: Where do you see your family in 5 years?
[M.D.V]: I don’t have a clear vision, just one desire: I hope to remain as close as we are now. If there’s love and support, we can face any problem.

[LEMON]: What’s the first thing that occurs to you when you think of lemons?
[M.D.V]: It’s a very interesting magazine! We love the topics you talk about and we are very glad you chose us!

QUICK QUESTIONS

[LEMON]: Who’s boss in the house?
[M.D.V]: We’re pretty equal. But most of the time, the bad cop is Eleonor and the good one is me.

[LEMON]: Europe or the USA?
[M.D.V]: Europe. Italy in particular.

[LEMON]: Sex or making love?
[M.D.V]: I love my wife deeply. That’s my answer!

[LEMON]: Favourite colour?
[M.D.V]: Blue

[LEMON]: Pants or shorts?
[M.D.V]:
Pants
[LEMON]: Red or white wine?
[M.D.V]: Red wine

[LEMON]: Spa or shopping?
[M.D.V]: Spa

hairbello.com
nohowstyle.com
@marianodivaio
@eleonorabrunaccidivaio
@eleonorabrunacci_lab