When I think about 90s Italian Vogue, I think about beauty marks, blowouts, and gold jewelry. In other words, it was a totally glorious time for fashion. London-based designer Serafina Sama grew up in Ravenna, Italy and this season she launches her solo line, Isa Arfen, exclusively at OC—with a collection that draws on that glamorous heritage. "I’m proud of being Italian but I can laugh about it too!" she says, "I wanted the pieces to be sophisticated but I didn't want the attitude to be too precious." So for spring she tempers her native "Italianness" with French chic (honed while working at Chloé and Lanvin) and London sportiness. The result is a collection of jewel-toned and jewel-encrusted separates that we want to own in every color. And it's already so much of an OC favorite that some of us really do, i.e. our womenswear buyer Kate. Meet Serafina and browse the collection below.
Shop all Isa Arfen here.
ANH: Hi Serafina. Your accent still sounds totally Italian. How long have you been in London for?
SS: I came here when I was seventeen to study at Central Saint Martins and then I never went back! In the beginning I studied architecture, because my parents didn’t want me to study fashion, but I’m quite stubborn so I got my way!
ANH: Is Isa Arfen Italian, English, or both?
SS: It’s a mix. There’s a big Italian influence because I’m 100% Italian and I grew up there. The Italian side is the more classic, traditional, matchy-matchy aesthetic of the brand but living in London brings a more relaxed attitude, and a pinch of irony.
ANH: What are your earliest fashion-related memories from Italy?
SS: I always watched my mother when she was getting dressed to go out, trying to walk in her high heels and trying on her things. I also have two aunts, my mom's sisters, and they each have a very individual sense of style. One of them is very eccentric and the other one really likes folkloric costumes. I grew up with these strong female figures and fashion was really important to them, even though we lived in a very small town.
ANH: What was your favorite look as a teenager?
SS: I had a lot of different phases, which I find a bit embarrassing [laughs]. When I was really young, I tried to emulate the 90210 look and then I tried grunge but I don’t think I ever nailed it because my mom would be like where are you going dressed like that? Then I had a hippy phase with a lot of bell-bottom jeans and velvet jackets. It took a while to find my own identity I guess. Now I almost have a uniform: white shirt, cropped jeans, and ankle boots—actually I always wear Opening Ceremony's Grunge Sneakers.
ANH: When you came to design your first full collection, what did you have in mind?
SS: I was looking at a lot of Italian Vogues and Italian magazines from the early to mid-90s. I was really looking at what was going on in Italian fashion in those years. On the one hand, it was very flashy and excessive, with bright colors and fabrics like shantung—which I then decided to use—and on the other, you could see the beginning of minimalism and grunge. I really like the mix between the two. I wanted the collection to have accents of that strong "Italianness" t
Shop all Isa Arfen here.
ANH: Hi Serafina. Your accent still sounds totally Italian. How long have you been in London for?
SS: I came here when I was seventeen to study at Central Saint Martins and then I never went back! In the beginning I studied architecture, because my parents didn’t want me to study fashion, but I’m quite stubborn so I got my way!
ANH: Is Isa Arfen Italian, English, or both?
SS: It’s a mix. There’s a big Italian influence because I’m 100% Italian and I grew up there. The Italian side is the more classic, traditional, matchy-matchy aesthetic of the brand but living in London brings a more relaxed attitude, and a pinch of irony.
ANH: What are your earliest fashion-related memories from Italy?
SS: I always watched my mother when she was getting dressed to go out, trying to walk in her high heels and trying on her things. I also have two aunts, my mom's sisters, and they each have a very individual sense of style. One of them is very eccentric and the other one really likes folkloric costumes. I grew up with these strong female figures and fashion was really important to them, even though we lived in a very small town.
ANH: What was your favorite look as a teenager?
SS: I had a lot of different phases, which I find a bit embarrassing [laughs]. When I was really young, I tried to emulate the 90210 look and then I tried grunge but I don’t think I ever nailed it because my mom would be like where are you going dressed like that? Then I had a hippy phase with a lot of bell-bottom jeans and velvet jackets. It took a while to find my own identity I guess. Now I almost have a uniform: white shirt, cropped jeans, and ankle boots—actually I always wear Opening Ceremony's Grunge Sneakers.
ANH: When you came to design your first full collection, what did you have in mind?
SS: I was looking at a lot of Italian Vogues and Italian magazines from the early to mid-90s. I was really looking at what was going on in Italian fashion in those years. On the one hand, it was very flashy and excessive, with bright colors and fabrics like shantung—which I then decided to use—and on the other, you could see the beginning of minimalism and grunge. I really like the mix between the two. I wanted the collection to have accents of that strong "Italianness" t