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PENELOPE MAI: THE EMPOWERMENT OF MODERN FEMININE STRENGTH AND BEAUTY

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Seamlessly blending couture level craft with directional yet feminine silhouettes that empower women, Penelope Mai is set to revolutionise evening wear wardrobes. Founded in December 2018 by London-based, Vietnamese designer Lisa Nguyen, each Penelope Mai dress is handmade with care in London — by either a London-based factory that manufactures for a number of esteemed luxury brands such as Roland Mouret, Victoria Beckham and Ralph and Russo, or within the brand’s in-house atelier in Knightsbridge.

 

The designs are crafted using the finest fabrics sourced from the UK, France and Italy. Th decidedly elegant yet minimalist label launches with a curated 10-piece collection, available now is available both made-to-order or entirely bespoke. Penelope Mai’s made to measure service will take approximately one month — the fastest lead time in the market.

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The label’s distinctly modern aesthetic offers sculptured full-length gowns replete with caped hemlines or spliced skirts, and body-hugging midi length dresses that aim to flatter the female wearer. Bodices, meanwhile, are slashed at the shoulder, with harness-like straps, or trimmed with decadent tulle to draw the eye in. Dresses are nipped at the waist, and often accessorised with metallic belt detail to create a well-balanced silhouette. Available in a classic palette of elegant nudes and fiery reds, each design can also be rendered in different colourways.

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The label derives its name from Lisa’s mother and her daughter — both prove endlessly inspiring to the designer. Having grown up first in the UK watching her mother run a modest yet successful tailoring business, Lisa got the bug for design, and after studying business at Imperial College London, she later honed her skills at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. Penelope Mai is her first solo venture. Lisa dedicates the label — and its strong yet gentle attitude — to these most important females in her life.