Style & Beauty Retail Renegades Boho-deluxe style never falters, exempt, as it is, from the pressures of both fast-moving trends and rigid traditions. The most timeless appeal of all might belong to fine craft textiles, which allow designers to search the world for talented artisans and bring their work to clued-up clients who value individuality and sustainability. Herewith are seven women-led brands making traditions modern, each passionate about supporting craftspeople in their own environments and expanding appreciation for their work. Left: Aleksandra Viktor’s ikatwoven Nela coat; below: fish-print trousers by Rianna + Nina Rianna + Nina Former PR Nina Knaudt and costume designer Rianna Kounou are like-minded vintage enthusiasts who spotted each other’s flamboyant style at a furniture fair in Berlin, and in 2014 opened a store which has blossomed into a brand. They scour the world for fabrics and, says Kounou, “finding combinations that make something new, after rummaging through flea markets and unknown vintage stores, is always exciting.” Shapes are traditional classics like kimonos, palazzo pants and boxy jackets – “the secret is not overcomplicating outlines but letting colour, print and texture do the talking,” says Knaudt. “A one-off piece could mix a centuries-old kimono, an Hermès scarf, 1920s Greek table linen and 1950s Hungarian embroidery – it has a history of its own. So much would be lost if these precious treasures went unpreserved.” riannaandnina.com “A one-off piece could mix a centuries-old kimono, an Hermès scarf, 1920s Greek table linen” Aleksandra Viktor A former realtor who went travelling to combat burnout, Berlin-based Aleksandra Jagdfeld fell in love with the traditional, ikat-weave chapan coats of Uzbekistan and brings a modern version to the wider world. It took two years and many trips to perfect the weaves. “I focus on this one strong shape,” she says. The cotton fabric, better known for furnishings, is softened with a silk mix and is in new colour schemes. “I love the process, its imperfections and the way colours change across the weave,” she goes on. “The weaving families are enthusiastic and open to new ideas, like silk velvet, made-tomeasure versions for autumn.” The unisex, one-size coats are tailored in Germany and lined with bright toning silk. “The looms make narrow fabric,” Jagdfeld explains, “so cutting and matching is tricky and very precise.” aleksandraviktor.com “I love the process, its imperfections and the way colours change across the weave” 46 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
Atlantique Ascoli The Paris-based daughter of French fashion designer Emmanuelle Khanh and Vietnamese furniture designer Quasar Khanh finds poetry in simple outlines. “It started organically with shapes and volumes that I wanted to wear but couldn’t find,” she says. Ideas from everyday French tradition – blue overalls, back-buttoned school smocks or white linen underwear – are mixed with the influence of architects, “Le Corbusier for ergonomics, Frank Lloyd Wright for lines, Gaudi for curves”. Shirts flare airily with tiny ruffles, skirts are A-line with petticoat-style drawstring waists: “a slow move when everything goes so fast”, she says. She works with artisanal family weavers in France and Poland. “I like cottons ‘raw’ but delicate, or cosy but light jersey, and the reassuring feel from these textures. Once I love a fabric, ideas for shapes flow immediately.” atlantiqueascoli.com Kika Simonsen The São Paulo-based painter began turning her works, inspired by the Amazon rainforest, into prints for her own clothes “and my friends asked me to make [pieces] for them, so having studied fashion, I started the business six years ago”. She photographs her works, created from layers of transparent paint, and prints them on natural fabrics, including recycled waste cotton, local silk and traditional laise, a type of broderie anglaise worn by the communities of African descent in Brazil’s northeast, whose flamboyant, offshoulder smocks inspire her alongside the ruffled pareos and fluid dresses of beach-loving Cariocas. “It’s a distinct and timeless Brazilian style, interpreted in modern, unexpected ways by dressmakers experienced in delicate fabrics,” she says. “Slow fashion, focused on intricate construction.” kikasimonsen.com.br Muzungu Sisters London-based friends Dana Alikhani and Tatiana Casiraghi are Muzungu Sisters (“traveller” in Swahili). They launched in 2011 “to promote artisan craftwork around the world, supporting diminishing crafts”, says Alikhani, “merging my background in human rights and Tatiana’s in fashion and curating”. They knew some craftspeople – a traditional Sicilian basket maker, a Balinese sarong-making family – from their own magpie travels; in other places, they work with NGOs, fair-trade co-operatives and local experts, travelling to discuss with the artisans Casiraghi’s designs which, she says, “are standalone beautiful pieces that we want to wear. Many are rare and made in small quantities, like jackets from a mountain community in Peru or Shicato, a femaleowned Ecuadorian knitwear and accessories brand.” Their own sustainable, biodegradable range is made in India. muzungusisters.com › PHOTOS COURTESY THE DESIGNERS “It started organically with shapes and volumes that I wanted to wear but couldn’t find” “It’s a distinct and timeless Brazilian style, interpreted in modern, unexpected ways” “We want to promote artisan craftwork around the world and support diminishing crafts” CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 47
