Faces: in conversation with Natasha Slater

We met Natasha Slater, pr and entrepreneur from London who has been living in Milan for years and is considered a reference point in the creative environment of the city. In addition to working as a consultant for famous fashion brands, she is also the owner and founder of her public relations agency “Natasha Slater Studio” since 2009. Among her latest projects is her new Dinner Conversations, the members club to help men and women networking and building economic independence, but also a new lifestyle club based in Milan to create relationships and exchange opportunities among members, as well as to propose activities and experiences with an international and multi-cultural feel.

With the vacations approaching, we find out another of her passions, surfing, and in our conversation, she tells us how she approached this discipline, leaving us some advice on where to practice and how to start. Ready to go?



How did your passion for surfing start? 

My journey with surfing started 3 years ago, and it wasn’t what I had imagined, as much as I had fantasized about riding big waves, on exotic beaches with cute surfer boys, my first experience was just the opposite! I could barely get my board into the water and once inside, knee-high, I was fighting with the ocean to hold it, getting hit by wave after wave, in short, my hopes of becoming a cool surfer were low. I didn’t give up though! 3 years later, here I am, surfing, loving it more every day. Surfing is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle, a state of mind, a religion, riding waves is a breathless experience. It makes you feel alive, it connects you with nature and asks you to be in the present moment, in the flow of life, out there on the lineup you are alone with everyone, looking at the waves, learning to read the ocean, in a state of meditation, you forget your daily problems and become one with yourself. Surfing has taught me so much about what it really means to let go, once you’re in the ocean, nothing else matters except being there.

What are the best places to practice it?

My favorite places are Baleal in Portugal, Santa Teresa in Costa Rica and Bali in Indonesia. The beauty of surfing is being able to travel and discover new places both to visit and to surf.

Where are you going to spend your vacation? Are you going to take your board with you?

I’m planning to go to Baleal in Portugal to practice a bit and relax by the ocean. I would have loved to organize a retreat for Dinner Conversations members, as I did with 18 people last October, but unfortunately due to the situation we are experiencing I had to postpone this surf & yoga retreat with the certainty of being able to organize it as soon as possible! 

What are your plans for the next season?

I’m working on a new calendar of unique events and experiences starting in September for members of my Dinner Conversations club. The dcClub – open to successful men and women – aims to establish real relationships between people and is distinguished by the innovative concept of involving its members in various lifestyle areas. The concept reflects the idea of a club without a physical location that creates important connections through itinerant experiences: we organize pop-up events for dinners, mixology/wine tasting evenings, private visits to art galleries, yoga retreats, workouts, and wellness appointments.