LUISA BECCARIA
Index
- The Origin
- Inspiration
- Brand Expansion
- Luisa Beccaria Turns Down Chloe
- Lucila Bonaccorsi
- The Recent Years
- Current Situation
The Origin
Luisa Beccaria (1956). A designer from Milan, and a descendant of Cesare Beccaria, the 18th century jurist and author of Of Crimes and Punishments, and Giulia Beccaria, the mother of Alessandro Manzoni. Married with four children, she defines herself as a designer who had a calling:
“When still quite young, I designed my first ball gowns.”
In 1989, on the occasion of her début at Milano Collezioni, she amazed the public by presenting a tableau vivant in which young girls from high society participated. But her real début goes back to 1980, when she presented a few of her designs at the Fornasetti art gallery, just for fun. Everything sold within three days. The fun, then, had turned into work.
Inspiration
“Extravagance and creativity do not have time, they have no space. They have no words that describe them, they simply manifest themselves. “
Since childhood Luisa Beccaria has been surrounded by art, poetry, music and nature. She invented a super feminine aesthetic that speaks of herself as a “contemporary dreamer“, which brings the spirit of every woman to dream. Her inspirations include art, literature, music and philosophy of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Neo-romance is the signature that the brand. This romance is embellished through the use of special fabrics; lace, brocade, polished white tulle embellished with three-dimensional velvet flowers, and brought to life by fantasies that evoke the lightness of a dream. It fascinates the originality of its creations, made with special features, precious fabrics, unusual and surprising colors. In addition to these inspirations, there is also a vibrant Mediterranean touch coming from Sicily, home of Luisa’s husband.
Brand Expansion
Luisa Beccaria presents her first haute couture collection in Rome in 1991. The rest is common knowledge: her Collections became an important part of each season, she opened a single-brand (monogriffe) boutique for women, children and bridal-wear. Also, she opened an atelier handling tailor made creations. Along with names such as Versace and Valentino, she became a guest of honor at the French fashion week with her haute couture fashion show at the invitation of the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris.
Later, she organized other haute couture walkers in Ville Lumière. Luisa Beccaria’s work revolutionized fashion, as she herself said:
“For women it is time to embrace grace, romance and femininity.”
Her woman of dreams is charming, sometimes frail like a Lalique crystal, or an echo of memories past, wearing clothes inspired by the paintings of Fragonard and Winterhalter. Also, there are references closer in time that remind us of the stars of Hollywood and bring a contemporary romanticism that is rich in suggestiveness.
Luisa Beccaria Turns Down Chloé
The Vendôme group proposes Luisa Beccaria to replace Karl Lagerfeld with the Chloé maison, but she, though flattered, had the courage to decline. Luisa chooses to stay in Italy to develop her personal line and to stay close to her family.
The Family of Luisa Beccaria
Her incredible decision became big news in the U.S. Major articles in Vogue America and Woman’s Wear Daily, who were devoted to her. At the start of the millenium in 2000 she designed a prêt-à-porter couture line that was presented at Milano Collezioni. Her clothes are available in exclusive shops like Barney’s New York and Barney’s Japan.
Lucilla Bonaccorsi
For Autumn-Winter 2004 she is inspired by the woman of the 1950s, with her full, flared skirts, and bags and shoes made from the same fabric as the clothes, in velvets, macramés, and chenilles.
In 2006 Lucilla Bonaccorsi, Luisa’s eldest daughter, decided to join the team and to handle the prêt-à-porter collections of the brand. Lucilla has cultivated a particular aesthetic vision for a lifetime. Her interest in fashion has blossomed prematurely. At age 8 she closed a high fashion show wearing a gold brocade dress, dancers, and a flower in her hair.
Lucilla not only emphasized the super-feminine style of the brand, but also made a young touch with playful details and new ideas. Lucilla and Luisa, together, have brought the brand to the way of eternity. The style is always cool, typical of women who are able to dream. The world of Luisa Beccaria is inhabited by nymphs in light and impalpable clothes, decorated with precious embroidery, wide, endless, sleek shades of the sea. The Dresses become more fascinating from one collection to another.
The Recent Years
Over the years, the fashion of Luisa Beccaria has continued to be very successful, thanks to impalpable fabrics, soft colors, dresses characterized by grace and lightness for a poetic but transversal and contemporary woman. The collections continue to confirm the presence of the designer in the international fashion scene.
Luisa Beccaria’s creations are well-known and sought after by celebrities around the world like Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Lady GaGa, Kate Winslet, Halle Berry, Madonna and Fan Bing Bing. Women who love her style continue to dream with passion, strength, beauty, and freedom are also reflected.
Current Situation
The Autumn / Winter 2017 collection, presented at Milan Fashion Week, was a collaboration with Tiffany & Co. The eyes of everyone are dazzled by the beauty of Luisa Beccaria’s dresses combined with Tiffany jewelery, both on the walkway and worn by celebrities and dinner party guests. Prêt-à-porter collections were presented in a context recalling the scene of Il Gattopardo by Luchino Visconti. After the fashion show, guests were invited to lunches and dinners inspired by Sicily at Il Castelluccio, the family castle in the Noto countryside, the interpreter of the charm of Made in Italy.
The flagship store of Luisa Beccaria is located in via Formentini 1, in the heart of Brera, Milan. Here is the Neo-Romanesque world of the designer, with all collections: woman, bride, children, accessories, and furniture.
VIVETTA PONTI
