Gianpaolo Grazioli (Giapo) discusses the journey that led to Cherlato, his ice cream truck collaboration with legendary gay icon Cher.
Last year, iconic Auckland ice cream parlour Giapo ‘expanded’, when pop legend, movie star and the definitive gay icon, Cher, collaborated with the brand to open Cherlato, a neon-coloured ice cream truck that graces the streets of Los Angeles.
But how on earth did this collaboration come about? A long-term friend of YOUR ex, Giapo, was ironically in America when Cher took her world tour to Auckland in 2018 and visited his ice cream store.
“My staff, huge fans themselves, were texting me non-stop about her visit. Little did I know, something even more incredible was about to happen,” he tells us, with excitement still palpable in his voice.
“Out of the blue, I get a call. It was a surreal moment… “Hi, it’s Cher from LA…” She’d visited my store and somehow tracked down my number! Ten days later, she’s pitching a collaboration to me over the phone!”
For Giapo, the iconic singer had been a soundtrack to his teenage years, when he met his now wife Annarosa.
“We were 19 when ‘Believe’ came out. We had recently got our driver’s licences, and it became the soundtrack of our first travels together and unforgettable parties… The memories we created back then, with Cher’s voice as our backdrop, are some of the most cherished moments of our youth!”
He admits this made Cher’s call even more surreal, initially not believing it was her. He says it was Cher’s passion that convinced him to go into business with the icon.
“It does involve some back-and-forth travel, but collaborating with Cher is a dream come true,” Giapo tells us, reflecting, “There’s this amazing flow when we work together, and it’s truly inspiring!”
He explains that Cherlato is a completely separate business from Giapo in Auckland. “While both celebrate creativity and deliciousness, they have distinct personalities. We have a dedicated kitchen in California where we create the Cherlato magic!”
Created by Giapo and curated by Cher, the truck serves ice cream flavours to satisfy an American audience, including Coffee & Donuts, Spiced Pumpkin and Candy Cane.
Giapo admits the distinctive brightly coloured truck embellished with Cher’s likeness was not their original plan.
“We initially wanted to open a whole store together, but then the world hit pause with the pandemic. Thankfully, our creative spark didn’t fizzle out. We pivoted and decided to bring the ice cream to the people with a Cherlato truck. It was a perfect solution for a time when people couldn’t come to us,” he says.
Closer to home, Giapo promises Auckland will eventually get a second Giapo store. “We haven’t chosen a location yet, but it’s definitely on the horizon,” he assures us.
But can we expect any further collaborations between Giapo and other LGBTQ+ icons? His answer makes us suspect it’s unlikely.
“David Bowie is one of my all-time favourites. It would be a cosmic dream to work with him,” he tells us, looking up at the sky, eyes searching for the Star Man.
 discusses the journey that led to Cherlato, his ice cream truck collaboration with legendary gay icon Cher.){kind=link}