New Form of Femininity Luxury womenswear from England with love W R I T T E N B Y : S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U PHOTOGRAPHED BY : NITIN RISHI @NITINRISHI
T
“Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do.”
he Britishbased studio, named after its founder Laura Pitharas, entered the fashion sphere not long ago, in October 2021, and is a contemporar y luxur y womenswear label. Pursuing elegance, straight lines, sleek silhouettes, and neutral color palettes are the main driving forces behind the Laura Pitharas brand.
TROORA MAGAZINE
Although its presence in the fashion world has been shor t , the brand has become known for carefully crafted womenswear, designed in London and produced from wool woven in Yorkshire. Pitharas’s mission is to bring femininit y to suits traditionally perceived by masculine forms and to give women a powerful appearance. “I wanted to go back to my roots of menswear tailoring and create a womenswear line that is both feminine, masculine, and eventually comfor table enough,” she declares.
226
Pitharas offers a new take on the classic, fitted “power suit ’’ of the 1920s with relaxed, loosefitting silhouettes and straight lines, taking cues from the masculine closet to give a sense of empowerment and credibilit y. Back in the 1920s, it was Coco Chanel who first introduced the power suit to the fashion world. It resurfaced in pop culture and current trends in recent years, becoming one of the most iconic silhouettes of 20th-century fashion. With the rise of women in the corporate workplace and the fourth
wave of feminism, the resurgence of the power suit and, therefore, the appearance of androgynous fashion is more relevant now than ever.
A well-made tailored suit can give a woman a sense of power. However, searching for the perfect suit is a long process that requires time and budget. Pitharas recalls, “For years, I was looking for a women’s suit that I could wear professionally and socially, made of high-quality wool, but I couldn’t find one.” Eventually, the idea was born from the designer ’s longing to find the perfect suit for her wedding; she decided to design one herself. Her studies in luxur y menswear design at the London College of Fashion, specializing in tailoring and outerwear, were the stepping stones for a promising career in womenswear. Before star ting her namesake brand, she designed clothes for luxur y fashion brands in London and Paris. “During my early career, I worked for various menswear designers. I am always borrowing my husband’s clothes and have often bought vintage menswear, as I think many women do,” she says. Pitharas draws inspiration from her father ’s wardrobe and impeccable style. “As I was growing up, my father taught me about the impor tance of quality and craft ,’’ she recalls. With a focus on sharp tailoring and sustainability, she conceived the ideas from her experiences and needs as a modern woman. “I am inspired by drawing ar t and innovation through colors and tex tures from ever yday surroundings, creating the perfect balance of timeless yet modern garments that can
