This female conscientiousness stems from an overall theme in Urbana Chappa’ s life. According to her profile, Chappa“ wanted nothing more than to showcase the uniqueness of her style and personality to the world. Her apparel line Maison de Urbana was a direct result of her desire to empower women to voice their individuality in style.”
Creating designs that allow women to feel not only comfortable but also empowered is not an easy thing to achieve. It requires the correct balance between sex and modesty, discretion in fabric to create that goal, and a strictly trained eye. While still a relatively new designer, Chappa has had plenty of styling experience, creating unforgettable looks for artists like Diane Warren, Natasha Henstridge, and Philip Lawrence. She is also currently taking a short hiatus from pursuing her degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise.
With this training, and cultural experiences, it is no wonder that Chappa desired to create a collection that was geared towards making women feel powerful in her clothes. In a recent press release, Chappa explained that,“ I started this so my designs could make every woman feel sexy in her own skin. I feel women need to stop adhering to pre-conceived norms for‘ beauty’ and‘ beautiful’. It’ s about time women fought against society’ s expectations and appreciated themselves for who they are.”
Chappa’ s definition of comfort does not align itself with the notion that clothes should feel good in the physical or literal sense. Chappa’ s much more concerned that women feel comfortable in their bodies while wearing her clothing, a metaphorical pursuit that reflects more on her own personal values than her design talent, both of which should be celebrated and praised.
By Brittany Pearlman
The LA Fashion magazine | 65