The September 2004 issue of Marie Claire Italia features an amazing 6-page story about my dear friend, Caggie Simonelli, and her project to celebrate bald beauty, aptly named BÔLD. Inspired by her experiences of working for nearly 20 years in the fashion industry while also living for a large part of those years in “hiding” about her Alopecia, Caggie decided to finally bare it all and leave behind the wigs, painful steroid injections in her skull, complicated (and at times dubious) hair-growth-stimulating nutrition and supplements regimens, and other health & beauty routines centered around covering up or “fixing” her alopecia-induced baldness. Embraced by her family, friends, and colleagues for letting her Light (and smooth crown) shine, she channeled her sense of liberation and confidence to create BÔLD. The project focuses on three categories of bald women: those with alopecia, those undergoing chemotherapy, and those who are bald by choice. At the time I met Caggie, I fell into two of those categories (two outta three ain’t bad, eh?).

It happened like this: I was walkin’ around downtown NYC, my bald head gleaming in the summer sun, when I was stopped by a young man in Buddy Holly-esque glasses (cute!). “Excuse me . . . I’m a photographer and I wonder if you do any modeling.” I was flattered and also giggled to myself at the inescapable corniness (or potential creepiness) of that line, were he not so wonderfully sincere. “Well, yes I am a model, actually. I started a Bald Is Beautiful project and modeling is part of that program!” I replied. He lit up with a smile and gushed, “I’m working with a friend of mine on her project about Baldness and Beauty and I think you guys should meet!” WOW! Kizmet! We hugged and then introduced ourselves (in that order!), and that’s how the Bald Is Beautiful and BÔLD movements converged! 

The photos you see in the Marie Claire Italia feature were from the first few photo shoots we did with Greg Kessler (the talented bespectacled photographer who brought me into the fold), including individual pics and as a bald and beautiful bunch! I have no idea what the article says (Non palare Italiano!), but it’s all about my friend Caggie and her wonderful BÔLD project! 

*FOOTNOTE: Caggie is one of the most incredible, powerful, inspiring women I know and I’m so happy that we were brought together by our mutual passion to celebrate Beauty in its infinite forms!

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