Our Favorite Moments from the Last 5 Years: Team BELLA Looks Back
It's been 5 years since I took the reins of BELLA Magazine.
Reflecting on this journey, I am filled with immense gratitude and pride.
From the moment I embarked on this adventure with my team, our mission was clear: to empower, inspire, and uplift our readers with content that celebrates beauty, diversity, and the power of storytelling. Over these five years, we’ve grown as a community, expanded our reach, and continued to set new standards in the world of lifestyle and fashion.
Our successes are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our incredible team, the unwavering support of our readers, and the partnerships we’ve forged along the way.
To everyone who has been part of this journey, thank you for believing in our vision and for your continuous support.
Lynette Barbieri
Senior Director of Sales and Business Expansion
One of the best moments of my five years with BELLA Magazine was at the Fiesta cover party we did in The Hamptons in August of 2022. Vanessa Coppes, BELLAS EIC, took over BELLA Magazine 6 months before Covid started. As you can imagine, it was a very difficult time. It was an uphill battle just to stay alive at that time. However, Vanessa being the determined and very creative person that she is, took on the challenge, forged ahead and never gave up. This photo is the first speech she gave at the first party without all of the crazy COVID restrictions, and the first time people really started coming out. My face shows exactly how I felt at that moment, which is why I chose this photo. I was so proud of all the things she did and all the things that she put up with to wind up where she was at that moment. She was happy, confident, and relaxed. She knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be. At that very moment I knew I was where I was supposed to be as well. Of course, we all had a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I knew then, as I was listening to her speak, that everything was going to be amazing.
Mindy + Paula, The Style Duo
Cover + Features Stylists
When thinking about the last five years working for Bella Magazine, so many fun and fabulous memories come to mind. From styling iconic photoshoots, to traveling to fun cities like Nashville and LA, and of course working with the best team ever! One of our favorite memories was styling the dynamic duo, Mary and Romain Bonnet. They were gorgeous and gracious and so much fun to work with. At the end of the day, we remember standing on the rooftop at The Godfrey Hotel, gazing at the California sunset and the Hollywood sign feeling like we really made it with our styling careers all thanks to BELLA!
Janene Mascarella
Beauty Editor-at-Large
My favorite memory of all time is seeing my (then) 16-year-old daughter Kimberly Mascarella's artwork featured as the back cover of BELLA's 2021 Women of Influence Issue. She titled her piece “THE FLAME” to inspire women of all ages to be keepers of the flame and remind them they hold an immense power in their hands. It was thrilling for Kimberly to be given this amazing opportunity at such a young age, and thanks to Vanessa's trust and belief, Kimberly has continued to grow immensely as an artist.
Jennifer MacLellan
Editorial Director
The past five years at BELLA Magazine, under the direction of Vanessa Coppes, have been some of the most memorable years of my career. Events with my team, magazine milestones, celebrations, and moments where we have seen the difference we can make in people’s lives – all standout in beautiful ways. But hands down, my favorite moment was seeing my very own cover of BELLA, featuring the most amazing day of my life, my wedding day. Not only did this issue memorialize this special day for me, but it was such an incredible honor to have this opportunity. My husband and I will cherish that issue and cover forever and can’t thank Vanessa enough for gifting us with such a meaningful tribute! Photography by Christine Flower.
Jonathan Calixto
Publisher
These last five years have been filled with a lot of memorable moments, and a journey that I would not trade for the world. One of my favorite memories happened this year at the 5th Annual Pride Cover Event when cover star, Brita Filter, took the center of the room and performed “Over the Rainbow.” I was standing by DJ Spin Diesel's set up, next to my colleagues, my fiancé, and could see everyone's reactions from smiles to tears and of course, Brita Filter, fully in her element. It is a moment of pure happiness and letting go, that I will treasure forever.
Cheryl Dantoni
Executive Operations Coordinator
Back in August 2019, Vanessa invited me to join BELLA Magazine, marking the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Watching her pursue her dream and transform the magazine into the dynamic publication it is today has been nothing short of inspiring. I’m thrilled to be part of BELLA once again. Vanessa, your journey is a testament to the fact that dreams truly can come true. I’m excited to see what the future holds for both you and BELLA. Happy 5th Anniversary! Here’s to many more years filled with health, happiness, and success. Congratulations!
Meghan Connolly
Editorial Intern
As a newer addition to the BELLA team, all my experiences thus far have been unique, exciting, and memorable. However, a standout moment during my journey with BELLA was the 2024 Pride Issue Cover Party, which we celebrated with a fabulous Drag Brunch at Burgerology in Midtown. The positive energy throughout the event was contagious - it was a beautiful feeling to be surrounded by endless love and support from our BELLA team, cover stars, families, friends, and supporters. At that moment I knew I wanted to remain a member of the BELLA family for a long, long time!
Amanda Mactas
Food, Travel + Book Editor
I think some of the stories that came out during the pandemic in 2020 forced us as a team to get really creative. It was a difficult time for many industries, so having the opportunity to highlight businesses that needed our attention was important. One story I really enjoyed working on was about the creative and unique ways restaurants were forced to pivot during the pandemic, which appeared in our July/August 2020 issue. I also loved supporting the travel industry, which really took a hit, with a fun piece on what your next travel destination should be based on your go-to quarantine drink (remember armchair inspo?!)