Nilara launches Aeternum Bag Collection

Being innovative in a world where fashion recycles itself time and time again is quite a challenge so I was really intrigued to see what the wonder woman behind Nilara brand was going for when I received the invitation for a lavish brunch at The Ballroom at the Corinthia Hotel & Spa in Attard to reveal the Aeternum Bag Collection.

About Nilara

Nilara has now become a household name with many ladies wanting to make an elegant statement with the clothes they wear, but the brand does not only cater for evening wear. They also cater for casual wear, business attire and accessories. But before I delve into Nilara's latest project, I wanted to share with you some very ambitious projects that the team behind Nilara are embarking on next year as well as their commitment to ethical fashion production.

Nilara is a registered Maltese Company with Nilara as a registered brand and has been in business for 5 years going into their 6th year. Nilara is a family company owned by Nilay Camilleri and Ivan Camilleri. With a fully functional production factory in Ghana, Africa. Nilara Ghana is run by Mr Camilleri being the brain and driving force behind the Ghana project, Nilara has managed to create jobs in Malta and also in Ghana treating all employees equally. Nilara strongly believes in Ethical Fashion that recognises that there are human being behind the clothes that we wear.

Nilara launched its online store www.nilarastore.com in November 2019, offering worldwide delivery and is in the process of launching an IOS and Android App, first week of January.

2020 is going to be a big year for Nilara where they plan to put Malta at the forefront of fashion worldwide as well as embarking on new projects such as debuting a skincare line with ethically sourced shea and cocoa butter, a homeware line, kids clothing and even menswear.

About Aeternum Bag Collection

Nilara, have during a brunch held at the Corintha Hotel & Spa, announced the launch of a new innovative product fully made in Malta. The collection of fully 3D printed bags, named ‘Aeternum’ which is targeted to challenge the perception of fashion accessories. 

“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past year and today we are here to launch the ‘Aeternum’ Bag Collection. A project that combines designer knowledge with technical knowledge together with classic sewing craftsmanship to create the amazing 'Aeternum’ bag collection - all printed in 3D and all made in Malta, we are determined to put Malta in the world map as a producer of sustainable fashion brand fully registered in Malta” said Nilay Camilleri, CEO of Nilara during the brunch.

During the said brunch distinct guests and various other attendees were treated to an exclusive first look at the 3D print bags before they were made available for the general public.

DESIGN CONCEPT AND FEATURES

The Aeternum Bag Collection was created with the approach of a design with a modern vision, reimagining traditional aesthetics with an authenticity and innovation that is uniquely Nilara. The thought process also took into consideration the following factors:

• Green Concept: No material waste during production thus sustainable. No Animal Product or byproducts were used making the product fully making it cruelty-free and earth-friendly. 
• Recyclable: The material used is fully certified PETG with glass fibre reinforcement, the manufacturing process is very lean without any material waste, hence making it fully recyclable and environment-friendly. 
• Interchangeable inserts: Very functional, multi-purpose inserts for the ultimate comfort. 
• Sleek and Unlimited Designs: Printed on demand and a fully customizable concept. 

The brand is in the process of applying for to patent the Aeternum Bag Collection. 

The ‘Aeternum’ – 3D Print Bag Collection is now available online starting at €99. For more information please visit our online store https://www.nilarastore.com/collections/aeternum including free delivery available in Malta.

If I had to pick out a design, I would go for the trapezoid shape which is unconventional though very in right now. You may find all the bags on Nilara online shop too, just in time for Christmas!

Myself, Nilay Camilleri & Caroline Abela

What do you think of these bags? Are they something you would consider buying?

Photos by Justin Ciappara & Carlo Jourdan

The Birthday Bag | My ABC Dior - Lady Dior

For the past three or four years, it has become a bit of a tradition for me to buy myself a luxury gift. Hey, I survived another year during which I would have worked hard in all aspects of my life, so I guess a little extra special treat won't hurt! This is going to be a long post so make yourself comfortable and read through if you're interested in knowing how I chose the bag and all the drama it took to get her home!

So, back to the subject, this year, I hit the big 3-0 and this was one of the most rewarding years yet so I wanted something really special. I knew I was going for a bag so I had my eyes on four contenders. Number 1, the Chanel Classic Flap; number 2, the Chanel Boy, number 3, Lady Dior and number 4, the Diorama.

I had been eyeing the first two for what seems like a thousand years but I knew I wouldn't bring myself to spend almost €6000 on a bag so I quickly put them in the wishlist again, not be resurrected for the foreseeable future. That left me with the two options from Dior - the classic Lady Dior and the contemporary Diorama. I like both bags as they are both styles I would wear but I was more inclined towards the Lady Dior for a number of reasons. First off, it is a Dior classic; an iconic piece from an iconic fashion house. It has historical connotations (I'll get into this in a minute) and it's overall elegant and ties well with my style. I guess for me, she was a natural choice.

When we went to the Dior cafe' in Japan during our honeymoon in July, I couldn't help but ask to see the bags up close so I could decide on a colour and size. I wasn't planning on buying it there though as prices for luxury goods in Japan are extortionate. At this point, I was between the mini and the My Lady Dior (or as it is now known, My ABC Dior) which is the small size. Being only 5 feet tall, any size from the medium upwards is too big for my frame and I feel that the bigger the bag gets, the less elegance it conveys.

Fast forward to two weeks before my birthday, and hubby surprised me with a weekend getaway in Venice. I researched the bag a bit more in a bid to settle on a size and colour and I was determined to get it from Venice. In the meantime, life had other plans. The Dior boutique in Venice only had the blush pink colour in the mini size which I decided was too small to fit my phone in so it was a complete waste of money for me but I did try the My ABC Dior in other colours to see how it looks on me and what it fits. I didn't think much of them not having the bag there as I figured I could always buy it online, only to discover that they don't ship to Malta 😒.

With no further travel plans yet, my brain was working at the speed of light to figure out a way of getting the bag so I emailed the Dior customer service and also messaged a friend who lives abroad to see if she would get it for me (which she agreed to! thank you, you know who you are 😉 👼). In the meantime, the Dior customer service team were looking into the matter for me and to cut a long story short, they found the exact bag I wanted at the Florence boutique and they called to bear the news. I agreed to pay the additional shipping fee of course and the bag was delivered last Monday afternoon, safe and sound! Here's a little tit-bit; the bag was shipped on the 24th of October which incidentally is the death anniversary of Mr Dior. Words can never thank the Dior staff for their exceptional customer service, including at the Venice boutique where we were served by the loveliest of ladies and she walked me through the bag and other articles I was interested in seeing. So now, without further ado, here she is in all her glory!

I promised I would tell you the history behind this iconic bag, so here goes. In 1995, Lady Diana was visiting Paris for a Cezanne exhibition and the First Lady of France at the time, Mme. Bernardette Chirac presented this iconic bag to Lady Diana as a gift. Following this episode, Lady Diana was seen carrying the bag multiple times and her being elegance impersonated, it was only apt for the house of Dior to rename the bag as Lady Dior.

What really drew me to this bag was the sturdy structure, which I always look for in a bag, whether it's luxury or not and the cannage quilting pattern, which is inspired by the Napoleon III chairs. I also like the sound the handles make when moved. Mr Christian Dior was a very superstitious man and he was fond of lucky charms and astrology, believed 8 was the perfect number and he also loved gardens. The bag is an ode to all that Christian Dior loved - from the DIOR charms on the front of the bag to the elegantly tapered structured sides reminiscent of the Dior dresses, the bag has timeless written all over it.

The previous edition of the My Lady Dior featured more coloured charms such as star signs if I'm not mistaken but now they have changed them to letters, the number 8, a bee, a star and a heart. In fact, the bag has been renamed to My ABC Dior, which is the one I have. It comes with a leather strap that can hold up to 6 charms (3 are included in the price then it's €50 for each additional one), therefore you can personalise it to your liking, hence the bag model being called  'My' Lady Dior. I chose to have my name spelled out. 

Here's another curious fact - did you know that it takes over 140 pieces to make the Lady Dior? The craftsmanship is really alive in this bag (see video further up) and I love that fact that the hardware is in champagne gold as it goes with both gold and silver jewellery. Oh, and the last curiosity I wanted to share with you is that if you look at the handles when they are open horizontally, they spell, C D - Christian Dior! This bag, same as the mini size has a flap opening as opposed to the zip opening on the larger sizes.

The inside of the bag also has the cannage pattern on silk chocolate brown lining. The bag has one large compartment and has a zip pocket at the back on the inside and another pocket on the front on the inside as well.

Now for the price. Dior have increased their prices this month and this bag has gone from €2950 to €3200 so an increase of €250. Apparently, most of the big fashion houses tend to increase their prices this time of year so if you're eyeing a particular bag or leather good, now is the time to buy before it goes up again.

If you've made it this far, thank you! That means a lot to me 😊 I hope you enjoyed reading through this post and learning a bit about an iconic piece of fashion history. Now excuse me while I go plan some outfits with this bag as the stand-out piece!

Beach-bag essentials

Today I will share my beach beauty essentials with you ladies :)

This cutesy pink train case was a gift I got some Christmases ago from one of my aunts. It is from the Body Shop and its fairly roomy... enough to carry all my things...

~ Comb

~ Sun Protection Spray SPF15

~ Deodorant

~ Hair Protection Spray

~ Moisturizer

~ Compact mirror

~ Nail file

~ Protecting lipgloss

~ Perfume sample

What do you take with you to the beach ladies?

Lara xoxo