Is there a specific region you like to source your materials from?
I do a lot of research when sourcing my fabrics, as I want to give the highest quality to my customers. I personally try all the fabrics before anything goes into production, creating garments for myself and testing them to make sure they work for everyday life… i.e - wearing them all day long, travelling and even playing with my baby!
Currently all my fabrics are from my trusted suppliers in the Como area in Italy, South of France and Portugal.
Who is the Ylenia Mangano woman?
The Ylenia Mangano woman is an independent one. A busy woman with an active social life, that loves to entertain friends.
I don’t like to think of a specific age range for my customers, as I consider personality more important than age. I think that anyone of any age can wear my dresses, as I design pieces that enhance the feminine silhouette of a woman, making sure they feel beautiful.
How important is education to you and how does that impact your creative drive?
Education is really important to me. I originally studied economics at university, but I always had a very deep passion for fashion.
As soon as I got my first job in finance in London and I could afford to pay for my own education, I started to do fashion courses at London School of Fashion. After this, I moved back to Italy to attend sewing courses. My aim was not to become a seamstress, as this requires many years to get to a good quality job, but instead I wanted to understand the construction of garments, understanding the various cuts and seams.
This really helped my creative drive, as understanding the construction, helped me design garments that feature soft lines, that envelop the female body.
What differentiates you from the other Italian couture brands within the fashion industry?
I think our extensive use of colours and how we enhance femininity are the main things that differentiate Ylenia Mangano from other Italian brands.
Femininity is a really key point for me. We can be just as strong as men, even if we are wearing a gorgeous dress. Courage, intelligence, strength and passion are all in our minds, they shout even louder when we are wearing a dress we love!
What’s next for Ylenia Mangano?
I am currently working on my next capsule collection that will be presented in September. We are also organising both breakfast and evening trunk shows in May! Our Trunk shows have been so popular previously and I love to see my customers trying on my different pieces, whilst enjoying a glass of champagne!
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