A Little Bit About Me
Hello and welcome! I am honored you have decided to visit my About Me page. My name is Dawn, and I am the founder of and lead designer for Alba Marie. I was born and raised in New Jersey in the United States, but I always felt greatly connected to Italy as the great-granddaughter of Italian immigrants from the Amalfi Coast and Basilicata.
My real introduction to Italy came when I was a 20-year -old student at the University of Richmond. I was majoring in International Studies, and one of the requirements was spending a semester abroad. I had been planning to go to Spain, since I had been studying Spanish since the 7th grade, but one day, while in conversation with my Dad he said to me, “You know, you can also go to Italy or France if you want”. I was like, “Woah. What?? Did you just say I could go to Italy??”. I never looked back.
The time I spent in Italy was life-changing. It opened my eyes to a whole new culture. I fell in love with the history, art, clothing, food…..let’s just say I was enamored with all of it. I loved that it felt familiar to me as an Italian-American, but yet so different in the most beautiful way. I knew that once I finished university I would be going back, and go I did.
I spent the next 25 years between Italy and the United States. For 20+ years I translated for Italian agencies and companies, including fashion designers Brunello Cucinelli and Fabiana Filippi and a large variety of artisan business creating everything from prosciutto to herbal medicines. During this time I learned a lot about project management, marketing and graphic design as different projects came up.
Several years ago, I came to a turning point in my life. My Mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and I had to pivot while taking care of her and my four homeschooled children. I left translating and project management behind as a result, but I longed to do something creative to distract me and find beauty and joy in daily life again. I started designing stationery as this creative outlet, posting my designs to an online platform. When my mom’s condition got worse, I forgot all about these designs. After she passed I didn’t have the energy to design anymore, and I spent a period without doing anything creative. Then one day, I decided to go look at the dashboard of my little shop. I had made a sale! I couldn’t believe it. I knew this would be the next chapter of my life, and I like to think that my Mom had something to do with that first sale that set me on my path.
A couple of year ago I decided to apply for Italian citizenship so I could finally move back to Italy full-time. By October 2024 my children and I received our citizenship and now we live in a small town in the hills of the Le Marched Region in Central Italy. To say that I love it here is an understatement. Of course, like all things, my life is not perfect, but I truly am grateful for every day I get to live in this beautiful area.
My newest chapter is working with Italian and American wedding planners who organize destination weddings in Italy. This work combines everything I love to do: travelling to see towns and venues, seeking out local artisans and business owners to help them thrive , content writing and marketing, and yes, my stationery design work, which I now fully focus around Italian weddings. I have designed a lot for Catholic brides and grooms in the US as well as Latino couples who need bilingual stationery, so it is fun to be able to use those skills in my new context.
My greatest pleasure in all of this is serving clients, be they wedding planners, small business owners or the brides and grooms themselves. I am grateful to be able to participate in such beautiful and meaningful work thanks to you. Grazie!
