MilliOnAir I I TERVIEW
LUXURY HANDBAG DESIGNER AND SWAROVSKI FAMILY SCION
Marina Raphael ON COMBINING TRADITION WITH INNOVATION
By Contributing Editor Juliet Herd
Less than two years out of university, Marina Raphael is already running her own eponymous accessories brand, selling exquisitely crafted luxury handbags to the global glitterati and forging intriguing collaborations that ensure she stays well ahead of fickle fashion trends. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Marina, 22, a business management graduate of King's College London, always knew she would take an entrepreneurial career path. As a member of the Swarovski family on her Swiss-Austrian mother's side, she shares her illustrious forebears' passion for creativity and design, combined with a strong work ethic. She chose to design handbags because, as she explains, "they can be used by everyone, regardless of age or size", with an emphasis on timeless quality, structured shapes and sustainability. In a nod to her heritage, Marina's Italian-made bags also incorporate Swarovski crystals in innovative and eye-catching ways. One of her most striking new designs is the miniature Evangelie in Crystal party bag - born out of a collaboration between the designer and her friend, Greek art director and influencer Evangelie Smyrniotaki - which is composed of a single mesh panel encrusted with more than 5000 Swarovski crystals. As well as its signature architectural and geometric shapes, the brand is known for its use of natural materials, such as napa leather, straw, suede, bamboo and eco-wool. As Marina says, her bags
are investment pieces, which is one of the reasons they have continued to fly off the online shopping 'shelf' amid the pandemic and her brand has steadily grown in the face of a challenging market environment. "People expect a lot from their wardrobe now, and especially in this new climate, customers expect clothes to be multi-functional and durable more than ever:' explains Marina. "Our mini handbags fit in with the new lifestyle, where we tend to carry less when leaving our homes. We also found customers gravitating towards the escapist, fantasy side of the brand, too - our bags offer women the chance to dream about parties and sparkle. They were buying these pieces for the ultimate pick-me-up even if they had nowhere to go!" Marina Raphael can already boast an abundance of royal and celebrity fans, including Queen Maxima of the etherlands, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and her daughter Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece, model Candice Swanepoel, and international influencers such as Tiffany Hsu, Doina Ciobanu, Xenia Adonts and Caroline Vreeland. As multi-lingual Marina launches her spring/summer collection -inspired by her Greek childhood and holidays spent island-hopping in the Aegean -she tells MilliOnAir about her inspirational family, her commitment to slow fashion, and how, as a young entrepreneur, she is determined to overcome the doubters.
MilliOnAir magazine
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