OUR STORY
Inspired by poetry
Gowns by Roberta is an independent brand inspired by patterns from the past, carefully finished with a modern twist and a dash of eclectic drama.
Our story begins when Roberta left her home at the age of 17 to study in the US and came back to Europe sure of her future dressing up herself and others despite being bullied and picked on at school. Never having studied fashion design, she pursued her degree at University of Essex and upstate New York in American studies and film. As a student and graduate she was hired by Beyond Retro in London working closely with rare and vintage pieces dating from various decades. Always looking for step forward she gained more experience in the world of fashion working for Kate Spade and Lena Hoschek. While working for these high-end designers Roberta became inspired with the vision and idea to finally pursue her own career as owner and designer of her own clothing label.
It all started with the idea of a red rose velvet pocket, beautifully placed on a garment. Roberta took this idea from one of her original 1950´s circle skirts (from her extensive personal archive) and simply put the red rose on a pair of black palazzo trousers. The rest happened later; they ended up on skirts, dresses with many new designs slowly emerging, such as handbags or homeware. Yes, not every design is adorned with the rose, but it looks beautiful on everything and it is important to have a distinctive and memorable feature for every brand. At Gowns by Roberta it is simply a rose, the flower that´s closest to her heart.
Most of Roberta’s designs are actually made in more than one colour or fabric and each season brings limited editions. Someone once said that once you start collecting these rose pockets you can´t stop, as it´s very addictive. That rose became the trademark of Gowns by Roberta (this is actually a name of a book that later ended up as movie called Roberta- story of Roberta living in Paris and owning a store with her designs). Yes, you can recognise that distinctive rose pocket from far. This signature velvet pocket is actually expanding its colourful existence and is now also available in baby pink and magenta/burgundy shade, all made from fine velvet, just to mix and match and spice up the designs a bit.
Roberta´s clients and collectors are all over the world. I don’t believe in fast fashion – buy a Gowns by Roberta piece now, and receive something carefully designed to be treasured in your wardrobe forever. Buy less, choose well, be timeless. All pieces are named and dedicated to women that brought a legacy to this world. Let´s celebrate them. I want to help every woman today be as iconic as the female trailblazers of the past and present.
Never mass produced and innovated in Europe from responsibly sourced local materials made by small family-owned manufacturers where everyone gets a fair wage and holiday allowance. Buying this product you support other women working and leading their small businesses. Buy less, choose well, something timeless that will last you forever. Support Gowns by Roberta, and you’re supporting an independent, woman-owned emporium.
There are ready to purchase designs on the website as well as pre-orders which allow only pre-bought items to be made which ends with minimal waste. Speaking of waste, all scraps materials are used to produce smaller things. And that´s slow fashion at its best for you. Or advanced style if you wish. That´s the vision and belief of Gowns by Roberta. The future is female after all.
