Whom You Know: MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Alessandra Coderoni, Founder and Designer of Ottavia et Emma

Friday, March 27, 2009

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Alessandra Coderoni, Founder and Designer of Ottavia et Emma

Alessandra Coderoni was born and raised in Milan, Italy where her true passion for fashion began. Having started her career on Wall Street with Merrill Lynch, Alessandra always incorporated her love for fashion in her everyday wardrobe. While pregnant with her second child, Emma, she decided to merge her fashion and business sense - thus starting Ottavia et Emma. Named after her two young daughters, Ottavia et Emma is a blend of sophistication, chic simplicity and elegance. The line is a true expression of Alessandra’s unique fashion creativity. Having been compared to Max Mara and Alice & Olivia, Ottavia et Emma is targeting women who want to look stylish yet classic and be comfortable in what they are wearing. By using the finest fabrics from Italy and Alessandra’s exquisite attention to detail, Ottavia et Emma’s pieces are classic enough to wear for years to come. Peachy Deegan chatted with Alessandra Coderoni for Whom You Know!

Peachy Deegan: How did you transition from Merrill Lynch to fashion?
Alessandra Coderoni: I left Merrill in 2005 to take a little break …which gave me the joy of my first daughter, Ottavia. A year and a half later, when I was expecting my second one, Emma, I knew I could not go back to the frenetic and demanding corporate world and I felt it was time in my life to express my dreams with something that I always wanted to do since I was a teen.

What do you like most about being a designer?
Creativity in visualizing what I would like to wear the next season.

What are the hottest looks for spring/summer?
Colors, sheerness and light fabrics

How would you compare living in Manhattan to Italy?
Manhattan: Quantity of life
Italy: Quality of life

What is your favorite place to be in NYC?
Any restaurants with my husband and any playgrounds with my girls.

What is your favorite shop?
Bonpoint, children clothing

What is your favorite drink?
Champagne

What is your favorite restaurant?
In the Village there is an AMAZING Italian Restaurant called Scuderia, is on Downing Street and the Chef Claudio is a true treasure!!

What is your favorite NYC book?
Mhh, I never bought a book on NYC…

What is your favorite thing to do in NYC that you can do nowhere else?
Getting a cab with no hassle….

What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?
Underrated: Parks how well they are maintained and how important they are for the city life. Overrated … Tory Burch ;)

What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
It’s very hard for me to talk about myself. I wish I could meet the Whom You Know readers so they could make their own idea of who I am. Well…. It’s all about finding a balance and I did. I love my husband, I’m happy to be a mom and I can express all my being woman through my design, simple and sophisticated, feminine and aggressive, out of the box with focus on the details!! That’s it, that’s exactly who I am!!

How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
We have a website www.ottaviaetemma.com and I can be contacted through the info link.

Whom You Know's Fashion week coverage of Ottavia et Emma:

http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/02/fashion-week-2009-ottavia-et-emmas.html

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