From Florence, with love
You may have cottoned on by now that you are really no one this summer unless you have a tent-like, ultra-breezy dress to waft around in. You know, the sort that makes you feel supremely elegant even if you’re with child (real or food variety). This is truly a trend that is kind to us all – hooray!
One of the purest, prettiest incarnations comes from Loretta Caponi, which until recently was one of those hidden treasure stores in Florence that only your savviest friend would know about, returning with a bespoke nightgown and delicately embroidered napkins. Now, under the guidance of Guido Conti Caponi, the founder’s grandson and COO, Loretta Caponi is coming to those of us without a trip to Tuscany planned any time soon.
The Loretta Caponi nightgown dress is pure cotton, machine-washable and beautifully crafted – each takes two days to create at the label’s atelier (which you can wander through if you visit the shop) and uses a plissé and smocking technique perfected by Caponi herself, who began sewing aged nine. It was first conceived as a nightdress for the label’s wealthy clients in the Sixties but it was Lucia, Conti Caponi’s mother, who first had the idea that it might work beyond the bedroom. “She thought the
dresses would be very nice with a leather belt and boots,” he recalls. “She suggested it to a client, the first one was not so sure.”
A few decades on and Loretta Caponi dresses now fall firmly in the wear-anywhere category. “They’re really popular as they are very versatile,” says Chelsea Power, buyer at Matches Fashion, where a capsule collection has recently launched.
The dresses are an investment purchase at £415 but they encapsulate the idea of conscious
shopping. I’d argue that it’d be more special to buy one of these handmade, timeless pieces than 10 others that you’ll just send to a charity shop next year. And if you’re in the market for upmarket linens and homeware, then you’re in for a total treat with the wider Loretta Caponi offering. The brand’s clientele list is an impeccable who’s who of glitterati with excellent taste and deep pockets. Sir Anthony Hopkins once called it “the finest store in Italy” and Conti Caponi – who spent so much time in the store that his height is marked on one of the wardrobes – recounts tales of his grandmother whiling away an afternoon on the steps of the shop chatting with the former Queen of Belgium.
A selection of Loretta Caponi loungewear and linens is available on Moda Operandi and nightwear is available at the Cutter Brooks boutique in Stow-onthe-wold.
Conti Caponi once dreamt of world domination, but he’s now taking it slowly, trying to build the family-like relationship with a new network of fans around the world. And what about the timing, releasing a dress collection just at the moment when fashion is in sync with the relaxed retro gown look? “Pure luck!” he beams.