When your brand counts Lady Gaga, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Alek Wek, Doutzen Kroes, Adut Akech and Edie Campbell as devotees in its first year of business, it’s safe to say the future looks bright. In the case of 16Arlington, that prospect is figurative and literal, given the brand’s signature is statement sequins. “It is a real fusion of our styles,” says Marco Capaldo, who launched the label with his partner Federica “Kikka” Cavenati out of their north London flat last year. (It’s named for the address of their first shared studio.) “I love a bit of excessive glamour, and Kikka has a soft spot for very clean, minimal tailoring.”
The couple met in London while studying at the Istituto Marangoni and they share Italian heritage – a duality reflected in their stimuli for SS19. “We drew inspiration from an imaginary dinner between Gina Lollobrigida and Joan Collins,” says Cavenati, explaining that it was the legendary Italian and English actresses who informed the collection’s juxtaposition of 50s glamour and 80s power shoulders. The sparkle that shimmered in both epochs is the connecting thread. “We love creating clothes that women want to wear, that give them confidence to transform into the best version of themselves,” Capaldo says. “When someone tells us they had the best time wearing a 16Arlington piece, it’s magic.”
