The Designers
Bionda Castana combines a magical mix of unique design, perfect fit and exquisite quality. The founders and designers, long-standing friends Natalia Barbieri and Jennifer Portman, dreamt of designing elegant and sophisticated footwear, combining it with luxurious quality and innovative design.The designs exhibit the synergy between a classic and edgier side - a tough yet polished look using hard wearing and luxury fabrics, oozing with femininity.
Bionda Castana translates from Italian, into Blonde Brunette - each representative of one half of the design duo. Jennifer being the blonde and Natalia the brunette. Bionda Castana products are all 100% hand - made in Italy.
Jennifer and Natalia met at University in London. It was this encounter and friendship that would later lead them to forming their luxury shoe business. The design duo both had an intrinsic desire to follow their dreams of forming their own footwear brand. Although lacking in formal training, they embarked upon a steep learning curve, shadowing the skills of their tutor in a Milanese factory, which would later become their manufacturing facility.
In a very short space of time (Bionda Castana was born in 2007), the design duo has rapidly gained recognition and credibility in the marketplace. Bionda Castana were honoured with the award for Best New Accessories Designer 2008 at the "Who is on Next/Vogue Italia" Event in Rome and has achieved major media recognition and coverage in leading publications worldwide. Their glamorous celebrity clientele includes Alexa Chung, Ivanka Trump and Charlize Theron.
Their presence in some of the world's premier stores from Browns to Boutique 1 reinforces their international appeal and demand. They have soon become one of the UK's most regarded design duos with not only creative talent, but also commercial success.
"We're not the kind of designers that feel we have to explain our collections in order for them to sell. We make shoes that when a woman sees them she says, ‘I have to have them.' "
Bionda Castana Milano
June, 2010
Bionda Castana Fall Winter 2010 collection launches in Harvey Nichols
January, 2010
Bionda Castana launches new Spring Summer 2010 Collection in Harrods
December, 2009
Bionda Castana become the first recipients of the Centre for Fashion Enterprise Cordwainers Innovation Award
February, 2009
Browns new concept store sells Bionda Castana’s Spring Summer 2009 Collection in 3 weeks.
October, 2008
The Sunday Times Style hails Bionda Castana ‘the new brand to love.’
September, 2008
Stella Magazine (The Sunday Telegraph) hails Bionda Castana ‘ the purveyor of party shoes’.
July, 2008
Bionda Castana wins the award for Best New Accessories Designer 2008 at the “Who is on Next/Vogue Italia” Event held in Rome and has achieved major media recognition and coverage in most leading publications around the world.
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