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The Label: Isa Arfen

This season, designer label Isa Arfen has caught my attention like no other. I was fortunate to see this currently available spring / summer collection when she presented it in New York in September 2015. Plus, I saw her Fall / Winter 2016 presentation while I was in London recently.

Now, before we get into the designs, let’s clear up some confusion… The designer’s name is not Isa Arfen. Her name is Serafina Sama. When the Italian-born, London-based designer launched her line in 2011, she cleverly came up with the name ‘Isa Arfen’, which is an anagram of her first name Serafina. I love the word play!

Now that we have that cleared up, let’s get back to the designs…

Sama graduated from Central Saint Martin’s in London and then worked at some of the most prestigious design houses including Lanvin, Chloe, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, and Marni. So, her education and training certainly prepared her to create the beautiful clothes she creates today. In her own words,

“To me, fashion is about desire, beauty, and fun. It’s not about dressing up in a costume. Isa Arfen is about a real woman dressing for her real life and really enjoying it.”

The line focuses on high quality, relaxed, wearable, feminine separates. This particular collection is playfully filled with jewel tones, exaggerated silhouettes, and ruffles. From this collection, I picked this two toned flared jumpsuit. Magenta and red has always been a favorite color combination of mine, plus I couldn’t resist the bow sash. It’s been the perfect piece for warm vacation destinations, offering a relaxed, bold, chic combination that’s not easy to find.

(Note: full details of my look can now be found at the bottom of each article.)

 

Isa Arfen: Top 20 Picks

As for the rest of the collection, my other two favorite looks would have to be this tiered ruffle dress and this one-shouldered ruched dress. Here are my top 20 selections from the collection.

Had you heard of the Isa Arfen label before this? What are your thoughts on Serafina Sama’s designs? I will certainly continue to watch with great anticipation to see what she does next!

Photos by Maritere Rice at Wynwood Walls in Miami