Controversa meets: Pollaz

CWith Paola Colombo (aka Pollaz) we created and launched our first Controversa project at the end of October 2020. Paola was deliberately one of the first people to whom we told our idea of reversible packaging: we were sure that, as you would say in English, ours was a "match made in heaven".
We chatted with her at the beginning of this 2021: new ideas and projects, shared and illustrated by her unique hand, will not be missing even in this new year, but for now this is just a small teaser.

Hello Pollaz! We have known each other for a while now but we would like you to introduce yourself again: we would like to do it in Controversa mode! Thinking of a box that contains a kit that tells the story of yourself, what would we discover?

Hello! For those who do not know me, my name is Paola but for several years I have been better known as Pollaz, I live in Verona and I am 38 years old. In my box there would surely be something related to my work such as a notebook, a pencil and a sewing machine, but since I have a great passion for miniatures, we make the sewing machine very small :) You would also find several dry leaves that you can color and I would add something to eat, maybe a croissant, so the box would have a smell of butter.

Which aspects of your job do you like the most?

I love that I can manage my own time, being able to work at any time or when there are days I don’t have anything else to distract me. I love being surrounded by cloth and colors and I am happy every day, very happy, to have really created a job that allows me to imagine and create something every day.

Looking back, what has been a challenge in your career path?

Every day is a small challenge because working independently you have to try to never stop putting projects together, meeting deadlines and keeping creativity. It is not always easy but I am happy that this "difficulty" is also part of my job.

What were the particularly shiny moments?

Since I quit my job in 2015 and “Pollaz” has become my only job, my life is really bright and shiny. Beyond the burden of a job that was not for me, the opportunity to have made myself known by many people who show me every day that they appreciate my vision and my way of creating and designing is really more than I could have imagined and hoped.

Why did you choose Controversa for your business?

When you buy online, it's always like Christmas Time. It is true that there are no surprises because you already know what’s in the package, but I felt the need for something that would offer an added value and that would make the "unboxing" experience unique and in line with my imagination. Finally, yet importantly, there is the ecological aspect: for my work, I purchase many products online and I try to recycle as much as possible, from the packaging to the wrapping materials for shipments, as not to waste anything. With Controversa you can give a new life to your packaging.

We've seen that you used your Controversa to store your button collection. Are there other uses you would like to make of it?

Absolutely! In the wardrobe I have put one of my favorite sweaters with a strip of Armenian paper into it to leave a good perfume on it and in another smaller one I have put my collection of pins.

Controversa was born as a tool for different businesses and therefore also for yours: what would you desire for your professional future? Are there any other tools you feel the need for?

I am working these days on the drafting of a project that I really care about and I would love to also include a new Controversa… for now I keep my fingers crossed!

Who would you recommend Controversa to?

I would recommend it to anyone, small sized brands, but not only, to those who, like myself, wish to add a kind of personality and human touch to the entire sales and purchase experience, online as well as offline.