In black and white: dialogue with Vilegiatura & Andra Handaric Studio 

Sometimes, in a very busy day, if I close my eyes for a second, I imagine myself in an Amalfitano little town, wandering the streets in the search of the best gelato. There, all the worries went away, it’s hot and everything smells like a huge lemonade, I am wearing a comfortable and chic kind of dress, a silky blazer resembling with a kimono and a cute raffia bag. Intriguing (or maybe not) I have discovered the perfect outfits and accesories for this dream at Cluj. In a black apron/pants/backless dress from Andra Handaric Studio and some incredible cute small bags from Vilegiatura (Andreea Bogdan, the amazing photographer who took this pictures is the designer of these).

Vilegiatura is 100% handcrafted design. The bags can be seen on Instagram @vilegiatura.
Follow Andra Handaric Studio pieces on www.andrahandaric.com and on Instagram @andrahandaricstudio. 

Vilegiatura

Founded by Andreea Bogdan and Florina Dascal, Vilegiatura is a creative endeavour that brings together sustainable making with a nostalgia for simpler times and the easiness of being. All made by the hands of Transylvanian artisans.

My journey in the fashion world has started with… Jewellery design, followed by fashion photography and now intertwined with bag design.

If my clothes (my accessories) would be a classic movie, this would be… Maybe not classics, but I see Vilegiatura as a mix between the slow paced holiday mood of “Call me by your nam”e and the playful, pastel aesthetic of Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom”.

My signature piece is… We launched Vilegiatura very recently, with two bags: “Into the blue” and “Sun kissed” and I think they will always be very special to us.

The most extravagant piece I want to design is…  Florina and I always joke that we couldn’t possibly have made more intricate bags as our very first pieces. The bags are entirely made by hand (from the closure to the hinges, to the inside and the outside). There are quite a few different craftsmen involved in the process: one for the metallic structure, one for the leather lining and another one for the wicker braiding followed by a very laborious hand stitching process.

Andra Handaric Studio

“I love experimenting with textures and shapes, there is one  reason why black is always a good choice”, the young designer said, while I was trying the black tops and the white kimono. After being Gareth Pugh’s disciple in London, Andra Handaric just launched her first prêt-à-porter collection as a performance-show put on stage. Now, she’s back to Cluj, and I cannot wait to visit her new studio.

My journey in the fashion world has started with…  my first memory about the world.

If my clothes (my accessories) would be a classic movie, this would be… “Persona”.

My signature piece is… the apron in all its interpretations.

The most extravagant piece… I already designed is an artisanal cape, which took 28 meters of fabric.

Alina Aliman & Andra Handaric

Photography: Andreea Bogdan – follow her on Instagram @andreea_bogdan

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