The name’s Italian, it’s an unlikely moniker for a mid-luxury multi-brand boutique, and few people can pronouce it. For all that, Leggera Nell’Aria has loads going for it. For one thing, the name means ‘lightness in the air’ and ‘aria’ is a play on the name of the remarkable owner, Arianna Cefis. After two decades as a leader in the global theatre of advertising (her last job was global director of Lowe & Partners), she decided to start her own high-end boutique on the King’s Road, stocking new designers from Europe, Africa and North America.
Nurturing a new generation of young British designers, mostly young fashion graduates fresh out of design college, Leggera Nell’Aria, is very much a part of Arianna’s ethos. We offer these young designers the opportunity to showcase their graduate work in pop-up collaborations at Leggera Nell’Aria. Fashion graduates from institutions like London College of Fashion and Ravensbourne, to name a few, have had whole windows devoted to their pieces. We will be launching a pop-up this September for three amazing young designers:
• Sade English and her androgynous, edgy outerwear;
• Lucy Jane Gray who cuts biker jackets out of multicoloured pony skin;
• Roxanne Cassandre Europe Scudier, designs adverse effects with nuclear fallout as inspiration, creating a variety of asymmetric pieces.
Supporting local arts & crafts initiatives in Kenya and Nigeria is also part of Arianna’s vision of showcasing the fine artisanal skills of African designers. For example, hand-rolled newspaper necklaces at £50 for three strands sold out this summer, and all the proceeds went to the children who made them in a small village in Kenya.
Our roster of talented designers, whose pieces are either unavailable in the UK or in less than 3 stockists, include among others:
• British-African Anita Quansah whose bohemian tribal neckpieces are
inspired by her Nigerian-Ghanaian roots. Anita who has collaborated with
Christian Lacroix and Donna Karan is a storyteller who weaves folktales with
her statement jewellery and fashion accessories;
• Finnish designer Teija Eilola who was snapped up to work for Michiko
Koshino after graduation in 2006; singer Kate Nash is a fan;
• Eclectic Spanish designer David Delfin who came to fashion from the fine
arts route, painting on cardboard, wood and clothes; he shows in Madrid and
New York and has designed the interiors of two hotels so far;
• Edward Achour whose hand-finished accessible French style has earned
him praise from the fashion houses of Yves Saint Laurent and Guy Laroche;
• Istanbul-born Derya Copur who is now based in London half the time is
known for her weave-worked designs and leather pieces;
• Persian-Canadian, London-trained Golnaz Ashtiani whose signature style
is a mixture of sporty classics made of unusual luxury fabrics precision cut with draping techniques;
• Portuguese designer Alexandra Oliviera whose brand Pe de Chumbo has a
following for designs made from knitted, woven fabrics which she produces
using a handmade process.
Leggera Nell’Aria also hosts a seasonal pop-up for the well-known Italian brand Aspesi, showcasing their chic basics and luxe casual wear to the London shopper; the 70-year old Alberto Aspesi, once called an anti-fashion player by Wallpaper magazine, is only available in the boutique in London.
Leggera Nell’Aria, 328 King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW3 5UH
Tel: 020 7352 7855
FB: Leggeranellaria
TW: LeggeraNellAria
Blog: www.lnaboutique.com/blog
No comments:
Post a Comment