Scarves are perhaps one in few accessories with a dual purpose that kills two birds with one stone. Equally practical as it is fashionable, the scarf provides warmth in the fall to winter months (typically speaking, of course), whilst adding dimension, texture, and interest into any ensemble as an accessory. And with the cold front approaching, there’s an incessant need for them: the neck gets coldest quickly, and everyone is waddling about in stuffy black coats. It then becomes the winter accessories – scarves, knit beanies, and gloves – that are main focus of street wear.
Enter De*Nada. De*Nada is an emerging accessories line specializing in handmade knits for both women and men, available at exclusive boutiques around the world. I was first came across the brand nearly a year ago when its founder and designer, Virginia Blanca Arrisueño, e-mailed me a press release of her debut A/W 2009 collection. I must admit I’m always wary and incredibly picky when sifting through PR e-mails I receive; it’s rare I love something, and even rarer that I write about it here to share. I fell in love with the textures and layering, the versatility, the color palette of [my favorite colors!] black, grey, white, olive green, beige, and deep violet. Of the collection, Virginia had been inspired by the cultures of her Peruvian heritage and employed such traditional methods of crocheting, knitting, and braiding to create such unique detail in each piece. All the images above are from their A/W 2009 campaign, featuring my favorite pieces:
{+} Cowls: Drape-able around the neck or worn as a hood.
{+} Eternal Scarves: Loose, lightweight, very much like a necklace. Wearable as or with jewelry, and beautiful even in spring/summer months.
{+} Spiral Scarves: Worn long or shortened depending on the number of times it’s wrapped around the neck, and pulled through the loop.
Brownie points for beautiful colors, versatility, and innovation. And now a video of their more recent, A/W collection for 2010. Another lovely campaign, but I must admit the previous one still remains my favorite:
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/14237187]
… beautiful, non? In 2005, Virginia Arrisueño envisioned a brand that blended the contemporary with the ethnic to create high-quality knit pieces. Peruvian culture and tradition had been of utmost significance in her life: she was the daughter of Peruvian immigrants, born in Morristown, New Jersey (which I found incredibly cool, since I was too; and yes, that makes us both inherently awesome!). Her parents are to thank for her influences entrepreneurially; it was her father’s fondness for the arts and travels, and her mother’s “impeccable sense of style.”
I had the honor and privilege of exchanging a few emails with Virginia a while back. She was so sweet to answer questions about both herself and De*Nada – thank you Virginia! xx
ABC: Why De*Nada? It’s assumedly common knowledge that the majority know it means “thank you” in Spanish, but I wondered if there was any special meaning, besides the aforementioned, to you as an individual.
Virginia: “‘De nada’ commonly means “you’re welcome” in Spanish. Because I wanted there to be a connection between my brand and my Peruvian background, I decided to choose a Spanish word…however, a word that most people know what it means and can pronounce easily. I liked the sound and meaning of “de nada,” and so I chose it as the name of my brand.”
ABC: Why did you decide to focus on knits and scarves in particular?
Virginia: “When I created De*Nada, it happened naturally that I started off designing handbags and t-shirts, which later led to designing knit accessories. Since I studied fiber art in college, the design process for knits came to me a lot more organically than designing handbags, for example. This year, I’m focusing entirely on knit accessories that launched for my [new] collection for autumn/winter 2009.”
She has since developed another collection for A/W 2010. Here’s to more photog inspiration, from the current campaign; beautiful styling, layering, and juxtaposition of the contrast between light and dark.
My favorites transcend through both collections: the Cowl Web in purple, Eternal lightweight in dark khaki, and the Hooded Cowl Web. While I am but a college student with a college budget, I will always be a h u g e believer in investing in classic, quality pieces that offer versatility or individuality regardless of what they are paired with. It’s far more economical (and French, for that matter!). Not only does it elevate your style, but it also curtails impulse purchases and forces you to think practically. De*Nada‘s prices range from $38 for knit gloves to $68 for more intricate scarves; $55 seems to be the average price. It’s a bit high-end for most – an assumption not to be taken in any way belittling since I am working with a student budget! – but it is worth it. That one statement scarf is a work of art sure to last through the years.
. . .
bises! x
{images via}
a bit coquettish 