Gianni Donofrio of Lakewood on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Gianni Donofrio and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gianni, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Movies and comic books are two things outside of work that are bringing me joy currently. Both are great ways to escape into new worlds for a short time, and the great thing about them is they almost always allow me to come back to my art more inspired.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Gianni Donofrio, creator/owner of Stache Studio, an art and design studio that also makes clothing products. I started my brand Stache about 12 years ago as a clothing brand dedicated to my father (who had a handle-bar mustache) after he passed away, and over the years it has grown and changed in a lot of ways. Currently I’m operating Stache as a graphic design studio servicing clients for their design needs using the skills I learned creating graphics for my brand over the years. I still make products when the inspiration strikes, and have a few upcoming product releases and events that I’m excited about, but my focus is on the client design work as it has not only helped me grow as an artist/designer, but it works well as a business along side the products I make.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Losing my dad unexpectedly was something that completely changed how I look at the world because it was very sudden and tragic, and happened right before I turned 18 which is a very transformative time in life as it is. It shaped how I saw the world because it really made me realize that anything can happen to you or your loved ones at any time, no matter what plans you have.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self that being creative is a superpower and that I should be very proud and thankful to be naturally good at art, but I would also tell myself to practice more so that I would be further along with my art by now. I would also have to convince myself that being an artist is a viable career choice, because when I was younger I didn’t think it was possible to make a living with my art, so I got started later than I would have liked.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
One of my biggest dream projects would be to write and direct a movie one day, I have very slowly started writing it, but I will absolutely finish it and make that dream happen or die trying.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I feel the fulfillment of finishing artwork that I am proud of and can finally relax knowing that I earned it. I also feel most at peace when I am spending time away from work with the people I love, probably eating my favorite foods.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stache.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stache.studio/