Lara Pontoni

OfficineLamour

Milliner

©Diana Palù

A world of silk and chiffon

Lara only creates unique pieces of exceptional quality
She used to be a restorer of frescoes
She describes herself as a serial crafter

After being a restorer for more than 20 years, Lara Pontoni had to change her path completely. "Due to an accident, I had to leave forever the restoration sites." But she didn’t lose heart and drew inspiration from the women of her family instead. Her mother and grandmother were always busy with needles and hooks, so she too started to create feminine and sophisticated accessories, inspired by the vintage charm of the retro style. In particular, she began to craft headdresses (hats, turbans and headbands) with old-world charm, but she also loves to create flowers made of silk, taffeta, chiffon, linen and organza. She started her new life as a milliner in 2016, when she founded her brand and her workshop, OfficineLamour.

Interview

What do you consider your talent?: My greatest talent is to create fabric flowers, made of silk, taffeta, chiffon, linen, cotton and organza. I love to dye petals and corollas by hand giving them a retro flavour. I love to craft unique accessories.
What do you love most of your profession?: The emotions of my customers when they have the finished product in their hands. The human relationship between the artisan and the customer moves me deeply even today. And I love when I can welcome people who come from far afield in my atelier.
What aspect of your work is little known?: People believe that many artisans work in my atelier, and they don’t know that I’m the only one who works here. Also, they can’t imagine the amount of work that lies behind every single product.
Do you consider your craft in danger?: No, I don’t think so. Recently, the values of craftsmanship has been rediscovered. And that process was expedited when the pandemic broke out. Also, social media give us an opportunity to be known by customers.

Lara Pontoni is a rising star: she began her career in 2017