Going crazy for L'allée: behind the designer accessories that have taken Malta by storm
Pippa Toledo is no stranger to the world of design, and as well as being an established interior designer, she’s put her name to a fabulous new jewellery and accessories line that’s selling fast amongst fashionistas all over the island!
Along with her daughter Ninnia, also an accessories designer, the mother and daughter duo have founded L’Allee, a gorgeous little trinket box of a boutique in Sliema.
Stocking a range of gorgeous designer bags and accessories, as well as scents and home fragrances, the brand name Pippa Toledo has become synonymous with a luxe, bohemian aesthetic. Statement earrings are definitely having a moment, and the label’s signature oversized gold thread stunners have been seen on the likes of celebs including model Tiffany Pisani and influencer Tamara Webb! We caught up with Ninnia Toledo to get the lowdown on this rockin' range.
Hi Ninnia! We love your range of belts, handbags and earrings! How does the design process start?
When you are a creative person the ideas are ongoing and the process never seems to have a start or a finish line. In fact, I suppose, we wouldn’t usually call it a design process, as it’s more of a feeling and and an urge to continuously create and bring new ideas and beautiful elegant pieces to the market. The beauty of it is that both Pippa and I have different styles and are inspired by different things; we love to create pieces which are diverse and unique and I believe that combination is what really sets us apart in the market.
The design process is continuous and ongoing, I can recall several occasions where we both would come up with an idea for a new piece and message each other in the early hours of the morning to share the concepts and ideas.There was one particular time that I recall waking up my mother at midnight asking her if she liked a particular idea. We are inspired by everything around us, but mostly the creativity and ideas are sparked from the passion we both share.
We want those who wear our pieces to feel that they are wearing something that is unique and beautiful.
How does it feel to have so many Maltese influencers wearing your pieces?
It’s extremely exciting and inspiring. We are not only honoured by the fact that our work is being appreciated by such amazing women, but it also gives us tremendous satisfaction. It makes all the hard work feel absolutely worth it. We also love that a lot of these women are strong, beautiful and genuine as this is synonymous with our brand personality.
Who is the “Pippa Toledo” brand girl?
Something many people may not know about Pippa, is that she started her journey and career initially in the fashion industry. When she was really young, she was determined to start her own fashion line. In the early days, she would paint t-shirts and sell them. She then moved onto creating her own clothing line called Pippa’s and slowly shifted towards home interiors and interior design. Around 11-12 years ago Pippa felt the calling to bring her back to fashion and this spurred her to re-create her beautiful jewellery collection, together with myself. This is a labour of love and creativity. It is also hard work and perfection which represents the Pippa Toledo brand we know and love today.
I believe, the Pippa Toledo brand is elegant, unique and timeless be it in the beautiful elements of the home or the fashion pieces you wear.
Who would you love to see rocking your jewellery and accessories?
We believe our jewellery is for everyone. We want people to feel happy and special when they wear our unique pieces as each one of them is made with absolute creativity, hard work and passion. We hope they feel like they are wearing a statement piece that adds to their own elegance and beauty. We want everyone wearing our pieces to feel special.
What’s next for the brand?
There are so many exciting things in the pipeline. We will be launching our e-commerce site any day now and this will open up doors to selling our products online. We’re excited to see our pieces grow beyond just the physical store. We also have a couple of new collections we are working very hard on so it will have to stay a secret for now, but we can’t wait to share them with our wonderful audience.
Thank You Ninnia! We can't wait to see what the future holds!