Innately in her blood but not exactly on her radar when choosing her career path at first, L.A based designer Raquel Allegra has been paving her way into the wardrobes of infatuated clients since 2002. Born in Berkeley, California Allegra moved to Los Angeles in the hope of making it in the music industry but while working part-time as a sales assistant in Barney’s New York in Beverly Hills it quickly became apparent that it was the fashion set she’d eventually make her mark upon.
Her artisan approach was what first caught customers attention and after much notice was taken of the vintage tees she’d redesign and wear to work, she had cultivated a rather ravenous following of trend arbiters wanting more. Motivated by the huge response, she was propelled to leave Barney’s and bring to life what editors, stylists, celebrities and perceptive consumers the world over have all come to know as the Raquel Allegra brand today.
With little but her self-taught design skills which she picked up from her days of buying vintage garments and custom tailoring them for herself and her friends, Allegra turned her first small collection of tie-dyed tees to that of a more all-encompassing one since she founded the brand. She mixes the femininity of uncomplicated cocoon-like dresses with powerful yet sexily workable separates and her ability to capture that layed-back ‘made-in-L.A’ vibe is undoubtedly part of the Raquel Allegra allure. Her distinctly unique use of material is perhaps her strong point though, combining textures and tones while deconstructing everyday pieces and turning them into what feel like one off’s. From beginning to end, the entire production is a local effort with her team all based in Allegra’s downtown office and factories.
Stocked at some of the world's most niche department stores like Merci, Barney’s New York, Liberty of London and Harvey Nichols, the brand opened a stand alone store at home on West Third Street in L.A in 2016.
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