Mandy Capristo: “I always try to be my own best friend”

At the age of 33, Mandy Capristo can already look back on many successful career years. At the age of just 16, she made her breakthrough with the girl group “Monrose”, through which she turned her passion, music, into a profession. Even after the band broke up, the musician continued to pursue her dream and started successfully as a solo artist But what many people don’t know is that the singer has another passion in life besides music – being happy.

As the advertising face for Triumph’s current underwear campaign “Comfort My Way”, Mandy Capristo told us what is important to her in life, how important it is to start with yourself and what role the message of the underwear campaign plays in this.

GALA: What is this campaign about exactly?

Mandy: This campaign, which is very valuable to me, is about starting to look at yourself differently and starting to take a closer look at your values. I think it’s incredibly nice that this campaign goes away from just presenting sexy lingerie, and instead focuses on making women feel good. It’s about lingerie that makes you feel good and beautiful. And not in a superficial sense, but in such a way that you have the feeling: I’m doing something good for my body.

What role does underwear play in this feeling of well-being?

It has always been important to me to buy nice underwear. But I’ve noticed that I feel more comfortable in my own skin when I feel beautiful, and I think that starts with my underwear. You have to remember that this is actually the first piece of clothing you put on and it’s like everything else in life: if it’s something that makes you happy, makes you feel good and suits your taste, then it is very valuable for your mental well-being.

You radiate incredible strength and self-confidence in the campaign images. Were there times when things looked different? Where you had doubts about not feeling comfortable enough?

As you get older, you get a completely different body feeling. You get a different attitude towards yourself and of course your body changes too. I have to say that I had to prepare quite a bit for the shoot – also personally. It was particularly important to me that this campaign is authentic and that as a woman I don’t represent anything that I don’t feel myself. In addition, I am not a model. I think I stand for something different and for me underwear is something very intimate.

I’ve never shown myself in underwear, but since it was supporting a campaign and something I just stand behind, that was the point for me to say: I’m incredibly proud to be doing this and under Many women also feel this motto: “We are all in the same boat. I also have my insecurities.” And even if the pictures turned out really great, it’s still something different when I look at myself in the mirror. I think we all feel the same about that.

What does comfort mean to you? Are you thinking of a specific place or person?

For me, comfort basically means that everything starts with you. I’ve experienced an incredible amount in the last few years. But I’ve also realized that I can be in the most beautiful places in the world, but if I’m not with myself then it’s all worthless.

That’s why for me the absolute priority in everything I do is that I start with myself and that’s where comfort actually starts.

For me, comfort is a place within me that I have to stay true to, that makes me strong and with which I constantly enter into a dialogue. I always try to be my own best friend.

This helps in the dialogue with yourself when you start talking like you’re talking to your best friend. Also, for me, comfort means being on the same level mentally, spiritually, and physically – when you’re in tune with yourself.

Speaking of harmony. About a year ago you founded the company “FELICE”, in which mental health plays a major role. What exactly is this project about and how did it come about?

Focusing on something else has done me incredibly well personally. Ever since I was 16 it’s been all about music and record sales and at some point I asked myself:

Who am I? Who is the Mandy who walked this path back then and why did I walk it?

I didn’t go down this path because I wanted to sell records, but to touch people. With the founding of “FELICE” I put my focus on something that makes me completely happy.

At some point I said: “Hey, I think life is about being happy.” That’s how “FELICE” came about, which means “happy”. It wasn’t an easy journey, there were many ups and downs. But for me it was important to found a place for people who get information about an offer of help , a feel-good place and also a feeling for mental and emotional health, and above all a place that makes people feel good.

Do you have a personal mantra that helps you be happy?

Yes, I have a lot of tools. It is important that we let go of any pressure. Whether it’s social pressure, financial or personal. What has helped me enormously and still helps me in moments when I realize: something feels strange here are lists.

I write on one list what is good for me and why, and on the other what is not.

I then make sure that the list with the nice things is always above the negatives. Writing in a diary and reflecting on things also helps me tremendously so as not to lose focus on myself.

Do you wish you had come to this realization sooner?

I’m not a repentant person. I think we humans always do what feels right at the moment. But we also change and we grow up and change our perspectives. So I’d probably give younger Mandy a slap on the shoulder and say, “Hey girl! I know it wasn’t always easy, but you did your best and you did it with a pure heart. Trust yourself, because your intuition is actual always on the right side.” Of course I do a lot of things differently today, but that’s only because I’ve had this path and made my experiences. And even today I’m still not where I would like to be.

And where would that be?

I would like to worry less and brood less because I still think too much about what other people think of me. I always feel like I have to make everyone happy. But I’m well on the way to working on it.

What message would you like to pass on to other women?

I believe that it is very important that every person has their own individual vision of life. And this must be free from any social pressure. That has to include everything: Some women want children, some don’t, and 10,000 other things in life as well. You should be with yourself and not let yourself down. At the end of the day, it’s all about looking in the mirror and liking what you see there. Not the looks themselves, but the person who made all the decisions and therefore goes to bed at night feeling good.

Gala