Viola Ambree is a luxury fashion house from Switzerland that launched in 2013 with a show in Lugano. Viola Campana, the woman behind the brand, is a highly skilled designer, mother and entrepreneur. The Lithuanian-born lady began her career in finance before moving into the world of high-end jewellery and eventually fashion. Her diverse skillset and business-minded prowess are evident in her creations that ooze feminine sophistication and have quickly become known for their inclusion of ultra- plush fabrics.
Last week Style’n’Snitch was treated to a mouthwatering three-course meal and preview of the label’s latest haute couture collection at Hyde Park’s legendary Lanesborough Hotel.
As guests tucked in, models paraded the room in a grand showcase of Viola Ambree’s pieces – a masterclass in rich materials and ornate detailing, her girls twirled in feminine pinks, nudes and softly shimmering fabrications.
Viola Ambree Ready Couture Fashion
The garments themselves are all handcrafted in Italy, under the guidance of Annamaria Buoncristiani, a prolific seamstress with a richly diverse dressmaking background that’s seen her create frocks for houses such as Dior and Velentino. Expect traditional Italian craftsmanship and slick, sharp pattern cutting in all of the designs.
Viola Ambree Ready Couture Fashion
Recently making waves at Arab Fashion Week with her ready-to-wear show, Campana is quick to draw on her eastern European heritage, taking recognisable inspiration from Russian Hermitage, the splendour of the great Winter Palace and the glamour of St Petersburg’s past. With an emphasis on fluidity and vintage styling, the brand’s first AFW foray saw models strut the catwalk in sheer silk veils, jewel-toned dresses and grown-up separates, wowing audiences. A similar palette was at work during her haute couture showing.
Alongside her current showroom atelier in Lugano, Campana intends to open a host of international showrooms across her target markets in the Middle East, Korea, Russia and the UK with the intention of dropping one haute couture collection and two pret-a-porter collections per year.
The Lanesborough event was an intimate peek into an exquisite selection of gowns, dripping in elaborate beading and jewels, yet still imaginably wearable – and what better way to see this emerging brand’s first dive into haute couture than served up with a glass of bubbly?
