Raquel Allegra
Raquel Allegra was born in Berkeley, CA to artisan parents. Here, her formative years encouraged a creative process of instinct, experiment and play. This creativity reflects in her designs. Many feature full length webbed cocoon shapes, made from oversized vintage Tee’s recycled from the LA County Prison System (successful after many laborious experiments with the process). In 2009 the brand expanded to include pieces in deerskin, linen, cashmere and French lace.The Raquel Allegra label has a global following including celebrities, editors, stylists and savvy consumers. The labels dedication to the tradition of artistry and craftsmanship sets the brand apart in the fashion industry. Everything, except for some knitwear, is manufactured and dyed locally in Los Angeles. Raquel Allegra’s savvy consumers appreciate that the label supports campaigns to protect ancient and endangered forests, which affects fabric choice selection.We caught up with Raquel to ask her to share what’s making her life better at the moment. This is what she said:1 | Regular trips to Costa Rica -- Costa Rica is a magical place where I experienced a total personal awakening and now frequently visit to reconnect with the beauty of the natural world. Nature, horses and pure living are all incredibly inspiring and simultaneously grounding. 2 | Time with horses -- When I started working with horses I was going through a difficult time in my life and personally felt like I had closed myself off. The non-traditional training that I prefer and continue to practice regularly is less about domination and more about finding a position with my body to connect more deeply with the horse, which I find to be therapeutic and spiritual. 3 | Living in Topanga -- Living in Topanga offers respite from the city that is both insular and inspiring. Wild nature, open space and the canyon’s close proximity to the ocean are extremely calming and help to re-energize my mind. 4 | Gardening regularly -- The garden at my cabin is my current pride and joy! It’s been an ongoing project, which I find to be meditative, reminding me to live in the present moment and be in touch with my senses -- listening, touching, smelling and seeing. This connection to all living things and the beauty of nature are my continuous muses. 5 | Sunday morning trips to local flea markets -- Los Angeles has such an amazing array of flea markets to scour for vintage treasures. Doing so can stimulate new ideas or thoughts around a new collection. Some of my favorites include: The Rose Bowl, Pasadena Community College and the Long Beach Antique Market. 6 | Stretching at home every morning -- Starting the morning with a good stretch, centering myself and connecting with my breath puts me in the right headspace to tackle the day ahead. It’s such a simple thing that makes a huge impact mentally for me.
