A Look Into the Splendid World of Ara Sunwear
Through her brand Ara Sunwear, Anna Romana Amendola will take you on a journey to her beloved Italy. To a villa on the Amalfi Coast, with a descent to the sea made up of three hundred steps, between terraces of lemon groves where you stop and shelter from the sun, where breakfast has no limits and where the seats at the table for dinner increase with the passing of the hours, the smell is that of lemon leaves and in the night all you hear is the sea.
In today’s fashion landscape just selling product is no longer an option; you need to provide an emotion, a reason, or a purpose, something that Anna is all too aware of. As I journey through the Ara website, it shares memories with me, of sunny holidays in Southern Italy where days are long and lazy, of a sophisticated simplicity that people travel thousands of miles to enjoy.
Ara Sunwear was born during the COVID pandemic. The concept itself had been hiding in a drawer for years, it was only when Anna was given time to stop and reflect on true passion and joy, that the company came to life. A brand of summer fashion accessories with a stunningly streamline yet impactful aesthetic. Trying to achieve this modern minimalism is something that books have been written about, but at the end of the day, there is one main ingredient that you can’t simply acquire and that is authenticity.
In the congested landscape of young and emerging fashion, Ara Sunwear differentiates itself with a self-assuredness beyond its years, who they are is crystal clear. In other companies this isn’t always reached till a few years in, allowing for time to test the waters and gauge customer feedback. This often happens when people come across a potential idea but still don’t understand how to present it to the world. At Ara Sunwear the tight-knit selection and styles speak of their confidence, in total they have no more than ten styles but interestingly it is more than enough. Each of the styles mimic the company’s ethos of sober elegance inspired by nature.
Where Ara describe their styles as minimalist I infact see boldness. Taking the simplest of materials: raffia, the hats and bucket bags on offer boast clean lines and invigorating color combinations that speak volumes. It is in the empty space and limited details, that we see the beauty of design. Perhaps what I appreciate most about this brand is the daytime sophistication. Often times our beach accessories are either too simple or overdone (almost to compensate for the lack of genuine design). Ara brings to the table an understated elegance that elevates your look without trying too hard.
With our new reality, how we shop and what we shop for has forever changed. Today we are in search of unique and timeless pieces that speak of our character and beliefs. We are more conscious of our purchasing habits, regardless of the price tag, the question we are starting to ask ourselves is, ‘what does this say about me?’ With Ara your purchases speak of an appreciation of the story they are telling; memories of happier days, and perhaps more importantly the simple pleasures we will savor most when we are back on holiday. Ara speaks of slow fashion and a respect and appreciation of the process. It speaks of timeless beauty and a belief that in almost everything, less is certainly more.
