THE CONCEPT
ÄLVA IS A FASHION BOUTIQUE THAT SPECIALISES IN DISCOVERING, SHOWCASING AND PROMOTING SWEDISH AND OTHER SCANDINAVIAN DESIGNERS AND LABELS.
SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN, FROM THE STUDIOS OF STOCKHOLM, COPENHAGEN AND BEYOND, IS KNOWN FOR ITS SIMPLICITY AND ITS INNOVATION. CLEAN CUTS AND QUALITY MATERIALS, COUPLED WITH A QUIRKY ATTENTION TO DETAIL, HAVE MADE LABELS FROM SWEDEN AND DENMARK THE TALK OF EUROPE'S FASHIONISTAS.
ÄLVA CAREFULLY HANDPICKS CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES AND HOME DÉCOR PIECES FROM BOTH ESTABLISHED SCANDINAVIAN BRANDS, AS WELL AS TALENTED, UP AND COMING DESIGNERS. WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN IDENTIFYING NAMES NEW TO THE LONDON FASHION SCENE AND BRINGING THEM TO OUR DISCERNING CUSTOMERS.
EACH ITEM WE CARRY HAS TO SATISFY THREE CRITERIA. FIRSTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE TO LOVE IT. IF IT WOULDN'T BE AN OUTSTANDING COMPLEMENT TO OUR WARDROBE, THEN IT HAS NO PLACE IN YOURS. SECONDLY, WE DEMAND EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY, IN TERMS OF QUALITY OVER PRICE. AND FINALLY, WE AIM TO SURPRISE YOU WITH PIECES THAT ARE RARELY SEEN IN LONDON.
LABELS AND DESIGNERS WE CURRENTLY STOCK INCLUDE FILIPPA K, GRETA, MALINA, J DAUPHIN, DAGMAR, SOPHIE BY SOPHIE, ANNA HOLTBLAD AND MANY MORE. OUR HOME DÉCOR ITEMS INCLUDE HANDMADE GLASS CANDLEHOLDERS FROM SKOGSBERG & SMART AND TRADITIONAL WOOL BLANKETS FROM DALARNA IN SWEDEN.
THE TEAM
ÄLVA WAS FOUNDED IN 2009 WHEN MARI AND MIA REALISED HOW DIFFICULT IT COULD BE IN LONDON TO FIND THE LATEST COLLECTIONS FROM THEIR FAVOURITE SCANDINAVIAN LABELS. BOTH HAD A PASSION FOR FASHION AS WELL AS A DESIRE TO SEE DESIGNERS FROM THEIR HOMELAND GIVEN THE STAGE THEY DESERVE IN LONDON.
MARI LEVIN NARCISO
MARI WAS BORN IN SWEDEN AND HAS A BROAD INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND FROM HER PROFESSIONAL LIFE IN FASHION, FOOD & BEVERAGE AND BANKING. SHE STARTED HER CAREER AS A TOP GOURMET CHEF IN HIGH PROFILE RESTAURANTS IN STOCKHOLM AND NEW YORK. SHE THEN BECAME A RESPECTED FREELANCE FOOD STYLIST FOR A NUMBER OF SWEDISH ADVERTISING COMPANIES AND MAGAZINES. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, SHE HAS WORKED AS A BANKER IN ZURICH BEFORE DECIDING TO RELOCATE TO LONDON AND PURSUE HER DREAM JOB IN FASHION. MARI HOLDS A MASTERS DEGREE IN FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT FROM THE STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY AND THE ZURICH ETH.
SWEDISH BORN MIA HAS LIVED AND BREATHED FASHION ALL OF HER PROFESSIONAL LIFE. SHE WAS A SUCCESSFUL MODEL FOR OVER TEN YEARS, WORKING FOR TOP SCANDINAVIAN DESIGNERS SUCH AS FILIPPA K, ONE OF ÄLVA’S FAVOURITE BRANDS. SHE THEN BECAME A FREELANCE STYLIST, COUNTING ELLE AND CHANNEL 4 (ONE OF SWEDEN’S BIGGEST TV CHANNELS) AS HER CLIENTS. AT CHANNEL 4, SHE WAS THE PERSONAL STYLIST FOR TV HOST KRISTIAN LUUK WHO WAS AWARDED ‘BEST DRESSED MAN’ BY ELLE MAGAZINE AT THE 2000 ELLE AWARDS. MIA THEN WORKED AS AN AGENT REPRESENTING FASHION STYLISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS UNTIL SHE MOVED TO LONDON.
THE BOUTIQUE
INTERIOR DESIGNER CARL-EMIL ERIKSSON, IN COLLABORATION WITH FURNITURE DESIGNERS JIMMIEMARTIN, WWW.SENSEOF3.COM, DECORATED THE ÄLVA BOUTIQUE ON THE FULHAM ROAD, LONDON.
