PRICES APPROXIMATELIFE
Your
espite being one of the few places
in the world where you can wear
a bikini all year round, the UAE has
surprisingly few local swimwear
designers. But that’s about to
change with the launch this month of Spanish-born
Natalia Arandes’ eponymous swimwear label, Natalia
Arandes Atelier. “It’s the ideal place to introduce the
concept of ‘couture swimwear’. Clients demand
exclusivity so I deliver a fully bespoke service,” she says.
The future HQ for her swimwear label will be the new
D3 Dubai Design District, but until that launches
Natalia, 34, has set up a chic atelier in her light and airy
Arabian Ranches villa, which she purchased last year with
her French husband, Arnaud Rambaud. “I visited the area
some years ago and I really loved the vibe,” she explains.
“It has several beautifully landscaped parks that give the
feeling of living, as our friends say, in a ‘countryside
house’, but in reality it’s just 20 minutes from Downtown.”
Having family close by (Arnaud’s brother and his wife live
a fi ve-minute walk away) adds to the community feel.
Since moving in this year, the couple have totally
revamped the villa, painting all the walls and ceilings white,
renovating the kitchen and installing a pool and outdoor
majlis, giving the house a relaxed and contemporary feel.
“My two favourite interior designers are Kelly Hoppen,D
252 |Harper’s BAZAAR|September 2014“WE FEEL A HOME
NEEDS TO EVOLVE,
SO WE DON’T WANT
TO RUSH TO BUY
EVERY SINGLE
PIECE NOW”
Natalia Arandes
Natalia’s Jimmy Choo
wedding shoes and
treasured family
heirlooms, including her
grandmother’s vintage
Longines watchDress, Dhs3,775, Tibi at
Boutique 1. Shoes and
bracelet, both Natalia’s ownLeft: Natalia’s rescue cat
Milou rules the roost at
her open-plan villa.
Below: Natalia wears
top, Dhs3,300, and
shorts, Dhs4,000, both
Dolce & Gabbana at
Harvey Nichols