LAURA BIAGIOTTI, born in Rome, has long been recognised as one of Italy’s greatest fashion designers. Since 1980 she has lived and worked in the Roman countryside, in an 11th-century castle restored to its ancient splendour after years of patient renovation by her and her husband Gianni Cigna, who passed away prematurely in August 1996. Voted Woman of the Year in 1992 in New York, and awarded the Marco Polo award in Beijing in 1993 for having brought Italian industry to China, Laura Biagiotti’s influential career and contribution to making Italian fashion famous worldwide was also recognised by Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro who presented her with the prestigious Knights of Labour award.
Biagiotti’s interest in fashion began in the sixties when she followed in the footsteps of her mother, Delia Soldaini, the founder of a fashion atelier. Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna, Laura’s daughter, on the other hand, began working alongside Laura in the company business in 1996, after the premature death of her father.
Less than a year later, Lavinia’s first creations made their debut on the catwalk during a charity event organized in Cairo under the patronage of Madame Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of the Egyptian president. Today Lavinia assists her mother in running the company, taking responsibility for both the company’s advertising campaigns and overseeing the launch of a variety of new products and projects, and, like her mother, amassing awards and accolades along the way.
THE QUEEN OF CASHMERE
Laura Biagiotti is perhaps best known for her refined cashmere fashions (she calls it the fibre ‘closest to heaven’), earning her the title of the Queen of Cashmere from the New York Times. But she is also celebrated as a designer who creates fashion with real women in mind, exploiting precious fabrics and manipulating styles so that each creation exalts the forms and femininity of the women who wear it, large or small may they be. Another much loved quality of Biagiotti creations is their unique versatility, meaning pieces can pass from day wear to evening wear with the addition of a few simple accessories: perfect for women with a busy lifestyle, but also for those keen to get the most out of individual pieces.
When choosing their wedding dress, many women are eager to find a dress they will be able to use again, not simply for the sake of making a prudent purchase, but also for the real joy of being able to wear ‘the dress’ again and relive some of the wonderful emotions of their big day. And specially canny brides are on the lookout for a dress that can then also be worn on their honeymoon.
coral branches embroidered with irridescent sequins are tone-on-tone or contrasting...
HOLIDAY SNAPSHOTS
Laura Biagiotti’s creations are perfect for this kind of woman, and never more so than her new 2009 summer collection, Snapshots from the Mediterranean, which is inspired by Italy’s sea with its gorgeous scenery and natural settings. Colours range from candid bridal whites and the lucky red of Mediterranean coral to the bright turquoises and greens of a Sardinian sea and underwater tones in inky black. There is a distinct holiday feel about this collection, with many of the models giving an urban twist to undersea colours and shapes in a new Med-chic style. Coral branches embroidered with iridescent sequins are tone-on-tone or contrasting, with the forms then repeated in bold accessories. The sea is the theme that unites this collection, its glittering surface inspiring daytime and eveningwear outfits with dazzling crystals and pearly sheens. Elsewhere, traces of black lace add a seductive, feminine touch to prints.
Faithful to her style, Biagiotti’s flattering pieces can nonchalantly pass from beach to office, morning to evening, with drawstring details that adjust proportions and give each piece a new form and function. Choose between flowing geometric shapes that drape along the body and emphatic cuts and stiff fabrics such as Mikado silk that create sculpted lines and three-dimensional effects. And also true to her style, Biagiotti’s creations make innovative use of natural ecological fabrics and avant-garde techniques while using fashion’s history as a springboard to discover and explore the fashion of the future.
SHADES OF SUMMER
For those planning an unforgettable Italian honeymoon, Biagiotti’s summery numbers draw on a blend of Mediterranean colours, combining the vitality of turquoise with a touch of sunny yellow that in turn fades into aquatic greens and takes on luminous hints of purple. An almost imperceptible shell print seems to form a flower on the light blue chiffon dress. The linen Bambola dress has multicoloured stripes, while the knit maxi-poncho has a drawstring to adjust proportions. The must-have items in Biagiotti’s summertime knitwear segment feature silk knit stripes alternating with nudeeffect Lurex bands. And best of all, knit and fabric caftans, ponchos and scarves turn into airy dresses and blouses in this functional yet ultra-refined style, meaning each piece is doubly precious.
And as a last consideration for nervous brides to be, Biagiotti considers her coral dresses talismans with protective and reinvigorating powers that ward off anxiety and stress. What more could a bride ask for?
For more information on Laura Biagiotti’s Summer 09 collection or her new range of wedding favours, visit www.laurabiagiotti.it
