Intimo più mare n° 213 - Settembre 2018

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
the utilization of top-quality European fabrics, it manages to
position itself in the mid-price range of the market, but with
product that can readily be defined as luxurious.
All the garments are manufactured in Bulgaria, in the factory
that is owned by the company, using great care throughout
every phase of the process, right down to the smallest detail,
while also displaying profound respect for the rights of the
employees and their working conditions. The garments featured
in the Noblesse Oblige collection flirt playfully with
the French pop scene of the Sixties. A journey through pastel
tones that takes us into the wardrobe of Francoise Hardy and
Catherine Deneuve in the film, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg.
The underwear features lustrous silk satin brandishing photographic
prints of a floral nature, embellished with dainty
ruffles of scalloped lace for asymmetrical bras with alluringly
intertwined shoulder straps, or more austere renditions
with stretch lace and luminous contrasting elastic bands. The
same motifs elegantly adorn the pajamas, while the selection
is handsomely completed with items that can double as outerwear
in feminine knits made from the best cashmere yarns.
The swimwear evokes dreamy moods with a retro flair, flourishing
striped patterns, maxi-polka dots, watercolor prints
and vintage styling that has been revamped and imbued with
a modern panache. An original collection that is rich in style,
destined to win the hearts of millennial fashionistas.
STYLE NOTES (on page 98)
CLARA AESTAS
RELOADED NEO-CLASSICAL
The creative duo made up of Elena Carelli and Floriana De
Letteriis wins hearts while setting them aflutter with their sartorial
beachwear
Two women from Appulia in their early thirties provide the
creative impulse behind the CLARA AESTAS phenomenon,
a brand of beachwear drawing from all the artisanal knowhow
and flair for style associated with products that have
been made in Italy. Elena Carelli and Floriana De Letteriis
share the distinction of boasting brilliant CVs in the field of
jurisprudence, but, once again, in both cases a love of fashion
has proven stronger. Besides, the love of beauty was already
in their DNA: Elena’s artistic creations have been displayed in
Italy and abroad, while Floriana comes from a family vaunting
a proud sartorial tradition.
This new brand, officially launched in time for the spring-summer
season of 2019, endeavors to seduce young, sophisticated
women with a neo-classical aesthetic that has been revamped
and imbued with a beguiling tenderness and romanticism,
without foregoing a playful pinch of audacity.
The Angel line, the main focus of the collection, features onepiece
swimsuits and bikinis in delicate pastel tones, rendered
unique by lace, in cotton and silk, applied in contrasting hues
for bordering and neckline trim. The stunning Reginella bikini
evokes the glamorous atmosphere of Capri during its heyday,
boasting classic, pretty forms embellished by embroidery and
foliage patterns in a dusty, feminine palette of colors, while the
Minimal Collection treats us to clean lines and asymmetrical
cuts. One discovers numerous homages to ancient Greece,
like the Theta model, a single-shoulder bikini featured in
various different iridescent, monochromatic interpretations,
Eneide, an essential one-piece model with a plunging neckline,
and Kalypso, the high-waisted two-piece model with intertwining
effects for the top. A final tribute to the tradition of
custom tailoring is found in the Bridal Collection, made from
luxurious fabrics embellished with lace and embroidery work,
featuring styling that can be personalized, inspired by traditional
dressmakers specializing in finely crafted bridal gowns:
perfect for honeymoons or as an integral part of one’s attire
during exotic ceremonies on the beach.
DESIGNER’S CORNER (on page 100)
FEDERICA COLOMBO
FIT&CHIC
A clear sense of style and technical virtuosity converge harmoniously
in each creation by this designer from Como, the owner
of the Punto a capo srl design studio
Short platinum-blonde hair, radiant and extroverted, Federica
Colombo is currently considered a leading figure on the
Italian underwear and beachwear landscape. Born in 1967,
she began her career in the world of fashion in Como, obtaining
a diploma Fabric Science from the Setificio di P. Carcano
Institute, followed by a master’s degree in advanced fashion
design at the prestigious Marangoni Institute of Milan.
Following a brief collaboration with a studio specializing in
fabric design, where she had the opportunity to design for big
designer labels such as Armani, Versace, Valentino, Dior and
Krizia, she decided to set off on her own as an independent
designer. So, in 1990, together with a partner, she founded a
design consulting company to assist in the creation of fashion
collections. The necessity to stay on top of the latest trends,
involving frequent trips to the most important fashion capitals
in the world, led her to increasingly specialize and focus on the
under- and beachwear sectors of the fashion industry. In 2003
she created Punto a capo srl., headquartered in Novedrate
(CO), a company that handled the design and creation of collections
of underwear, beachwear, pajamas, men’s, women’s
and children’s homewear: a project that, as the name implies
(in Italian punta a capo means something like: back to the
drawing board), marks a new beginning and the bold setting of
ambitious new goals. This undertaking proved to be an instant
success and they soon began working with some of the biggest
names in the world of fashion, both Italian and international,
such as Armani Underwear and Beachwear, Custo Barcelona
Beachwear, Wolf Lingerie, Krizia Underwear, Marina Rinaldi,
Intima Moda, Triumph International, Yamamay, Tex Zeta,
Piquadro, Pompea, Schiesser and many, many others. In
2006, with a staff composed of two designers, a graphic designer
andfour professionals devoted to actually making up
the garments, she decided to enhance the design studio with
an in-house prototype division in order to offer her clients
total, comprehensive service: from research to sketches, from
development of prototypes to sizing. And always with the use
of exclusively top-quality materials, thanks to a pool of care-