September 2014|Harper’s BAZAAR| 253PRICES APPROXIMATE
every trend, from punk to bohemian, from the ’20s to
the ’90s, but I adapt each to my taste to feel comfortable,”
she says. “For example, I would team black leather pants
with a mohair sweater to give the outfi t a feminine feel.”
Naturally creative, Natalia brings that womanly
aesthetic to her pretty swimwear designs. “As a child
I used to have fun stitching dresses for my Barbies, and as
an adult I began designing my own dresses,” she says.
“People used to ask me where I got them from so Arnaud,
encouraged me to pursue my dream. It’s never too late to
start over, never too late to be happy.”
Until now Natalia has been making bespoke bikinis
and matching turbans for friends from her atelier at
home, supervising every order from cutting the pattern
to the last stitch. “I have 60 different samples and
counting... The options are endless!” With her ready-to-
wear collection launching for S/S15,
Natalia has big aspirations for her
brand. “My dream is to design haute
couture swimwear, with delicate
embroidery and embellished fabrics.”
A huge fan of Karl Lagerfeld, she looks
to the couturier for motivation for her
burgeoning label. “I wanted to have
a piece of his great talent as inspiration
in my showroom, so I have posters
from the Little Black Jacket exhibition.”
Style, substance and inspiring role
models... Expect this petit designer
to make big waves on Dubai’s
swimwear scene.
Nataliaarandes.com“MY DR EAM IS TO DESIGN
H AUTE COUTUR E SWIMWE A R ,
WITH DELIC ATE EMBROIDERY
AND EMBELLISHED FABRIC”
Natalia Arandes
known for her use of black and grey to bring a touch of
luxury, and the Lázaro Rosa-Violán, who integrates nature-
inspired elements like wood and Balinese sculptures.”
These design infl uences are refl ected in the couple’s
choice of key decorative pieces, including artwork by
French artist Cynthia Rossi and tribal fi gurines from
their extensive travels to far-fl ung locales such as Kenya,
Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Most of the larger furniture
items are from Natalia’s previous apartment, and the
couple are looking forward to replacing them... When
the time is right. “We feel a home needs
to evolve so we don’t want to rush to buy
every single piece now,” she says. But
Natalia admits she’s “very excited” about
an upcoming shipment. “My parents are
sending us a container of furniture from
my grandparents, including murano glass
chandeliers and Louis XV sofas, to give
an eclectic touch.”
One of the areas that caused the couple
the most angst during their extensive
revamp was the mirrored doors for the
closets. “It was almost mission impossible
to get them done the way we wanted,”
she says. But, home to her impressive
wardrobe, the results are worth it. “I likeThe art work in
the dining room,
by French artist
Cynthia Rossi,
was a wedding
gift from Arnaud’s
grandparentsTop: The bedroom features prints
of photographs by Karl Lagerfeld
alongside African-inspired
decorative elements. Above:
just a few items from Natalia’s
extensive make-up arsenal. Left:
Natalia models a swimsuit and
turban from her own collectionNatalia’s beside
includes joke
‘Happy Pills’ and
jewellery boxes
from Sri Lanka