"issalondon"...A fashion label of the beautiful brazilian designer Daniella Helayel. (from the website) The name Issa comes from the scene of elation Helayel encountered on beaches at home in Brazil: "Issa' is a surfer's cry of joy when riding the perfect wave." That happiness remains central to her philosophy. The abiding spirit of Issa, even for clothes worn in formal situations, is one of sunshine and warmth. She want women to feel as relaxed, confident and sexy as they do on holiday.
The result is a label embraced by many celebrities- fans include Madonna, Kate Middleton, Scarlett Johansson, Sharon Stone, Kylie Minogue, Keira Knightley, Amy Sacco, Emanuelle Beart and Jennifer Lopez- and by women of all ages. Issa designs are not only luxuriously sleek and beautiful, but also highly wearable. Dresses are typically in soft silk jersey with distinctive colours and unique prints.
Daniella Helayel... " My designs are practical, fluid and chic."
"I wanted a dress that made me feel comfortable and glamorous at the same time, one that could take me anywhere, from work to play, bedroom to boardroom." says Helayel.
Daniella Helayel, now based in Chelsea, London believes the secret is to make dresses that both flatter and feel good: "Most of my team are women and we all try on each and every design. We all have different tastes, body shapes and styles. If a dress doesn't please all of us. I tear up the pattern."
When asked what three things are inspiring her at the moment: “Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferré and Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, all in the seventies. I’m also finding the film, Picnic at Hanging Rock by Peter Weir, very inspirational.”
When asked who her ideal customer is: “The Queen of England. She is not just a style icon, but an icon in every sense of the word.”
If I were to come to London for an afternoon, where would you recommend me to go ;) ? : “I’d suggest a visit to the Tate Modern and the Pavillion at the Serpentine, shopping at Dover Street Market, tea at The Wolseley and a stroll through St James Park.”
I have noticed a couple of other Brazilian designers who have soared in a very short time... All of them having this incredible creative eye! You can easily see the freedom, passion and glamour in there design, so I decided to quickly google up and coming designers. And THAT'S when I bumped into the reality!! Brazilian designers TODAY ! Which will be the topic of my next post ;)
Now let's get back to the alluring Issa...
Issalondon's website is another crazy creative side to the brand... Imagine going through a royal entrance with crests of unicorns on them and butterflies fluttering everywhere...
What amazed me with this collection was the color combination. The "nude" feeling it gives is just fascinating! And the color palette of the deep forrest green and the tan combined with the tones of royal blue gives it the ultimate high-end chic'ness with a breath-taking sexy'ness as a twist! Phfew! Sweating while I write this!!
Gotto get me a pair of those, I tell-ya!!
(above: Strutting Poncho in "tahiti grape"&"tahiti coral" colors) The next group of colors are the warm, bright ones... The ones that could remind you of the colors that tropical birds have...
SO exotic!! And THIS is exactly what I noticed is going on! This magnetic Brazilian touch... Maybe we are all tired from the "grey"ness of the world and t'is time to SPICE it up?! These colors give life...give hope and I know, right now, this is what everyone needs...
The next group of pictures are from the London Runway... Spring-Summer 2010
Another intrigueing detail that Issa uses in designs are the printed patterns... Very feminine be it geometric or animal prints. Also I noticed that in the collection, black and white is presented as an option other than the rainbow colors, which gives it diversity. In the pictures you can see that the never-aging 38 year-old, mega-famous-model Naomi Campbell has still got it as she struts down the catwalk!! Issa's 2010 collection consists of a few different prints and colors...
The print seen in this collection (above) is rather geometrical... It almost reminds me of peacock feathers. She calls this group the "amazon" and the "babylon". The bright green/yellow prints are the amazons, the pastels are the babylons... The first picture is described as "anthurium embellishment; long embroidered skirt". Simply irresistable!!! The image on the right gives a completely different feel to the collection. These pieces, which are textured, are the perfect choice for a night out. Again it has an exotic charm to it. The black is a sequin dress and the other is made of scales...
Who is wearing Issalondon?
A gift from Issalondon?? Hmmm....
Yes! It's completely true!! When you go to their website you will find that Issa is giving you the hints on how to design your own personal Issa Poncho!!!!
...and for the ones who aren't interested in the poncho: Issa has wallpapers with their own unique prints that you can upload to your computer or iPhone!! You can pick any of the three below.
...and for the ones who aren't interested in the poncho: Issa has wallpapers with their own unique prints that you can upload to your computer or iPhone!! You can pick any of the three below.
(the Map, the Small-Tree or the Small-Hearts)
Further more... Wishing more success to the shining star: Issalondon
