The palaces, the churches, the museums…  some say this entire city is a showcase of the Italian Renaissance, the leader in breaking Europe out of the dark ages... this was very apparent to me during our visit.  While many of the attractions are very impressive, dominant and towering, with Duomos that touch the sky and the massive Uffizi Palace, I fell in love with the softer, more subtle details of this romantic city… the pink and green marble (which looks like black and white from a distance), the store front gates shop owner’s use to lock up in the evening, the marvelous side streets and, of course, I loved their ‘jewelers row’ located over the water, called Ponte Vecchio, (translation ‘old bridge’) which took us to a fabulous glove shop and ultimately our dinner spot overlooking the rowers in the river. 

This underlying softness is ultimately the reason I chose this clock hand to represent Florence; while it is overall a very strong, impressive design, upon closer examination, the wonderful details reveal themselves in beautiful ways… just like the city. 

While there are many design variations to my Florence collection, I wanted my signature piece to really honor the true design of the hand itself and be both a strong design and one that also has a bit of whimsy.  May you fall in love with all Florence has to offer…

- XO Susan

This city moved me in a way that is difficult to describe… it felt like home to me.  That may have had something to do with the over accommodating Allesandro at Ad Place, or the serenade under our bedroom window, but I could literally feel passion and pride spilling out of every resident which made for an exceptionally remarkable experience. 

The antiquated, delightful city had a stylish edge to it that I feel I identify with.  While I both respect and appreciate all things vintage and classic, I still like to put a ‘Susan Bella Edge’ on all of my custom designs.  This is very apparent in my Venice collection – this is my edgiest of them all, but the designs still pay homage to the original design of the inspiration hand, proving it is good to think outside of the gondola, the box, or whatever other limitations you put on yourself.

- XO Susan

This quaint little town with breathtaking scenery is so simple, yet very interesting… and it may just have the best Gelato in all of Italy!  It is a mix of modern day suburbia and old world elegance with gorgeous wrought iron gates and decorative sidewalk inserts at every turn. 

My Pienza collection reflects the two different sides of both the architecture and the overall feeling I had in my soul during my visit.  Right down to the church whose overhang is literally, slowly, falling off the cliff on which it is poised.  I, of course, stood with one foot on either side of the significant crack in the house of worship to get the vibes first hand!  I hope you love all the sides of my Pienza collection!

- XO Susan