STELLA PARDO

Hailing from Peru and French by adoption since the age of ten, Cinthya Guerrero pays tribute to her heritage with her label specializing in knitwear. Named after her grandmother, Stella Pardo, it's a nod to the importance of the creator's family, and especially its women. Guerrero's interest in fashion goes back to her childhood, when she accompanied her mother as she visited textile workshops in Peru. Years later and an ocean away, she would pursue studies in business and go on to work at LVMH's media service for four years. It was an experience that would give her the keys to launching her own brand — one that would act as a bridge between the two countries of her heart. Thus, Stella Pardo offers pieces made in fine Peruvian materials like Alpaca and organic Pima cotton. Natural fibers are tinted with vegetable dyes in order to keep the brand's environmental impact to a bare minimum. Designed at the Paris workshop in the 8th arrondissement, the garments are produced in Lima by a team of fifty or so master weavers, many of them women possessing incredible ancestral knowledge. It's a way for the label to elaborate a socially-engaged business plan that supports women in creating their own independent businesses. Stella Pardo is bringing knits back in a big way, updating the classics with feminine cuts and laid-back elegance. Indeed, this young creator's been turning heads — she won Who's Next's Concours International des Jeunes Créateurs, and Mélanie Laurent considers herself a fan. This astronomic success has shown us all that artisanal tradition and ethics truly are an unbeatable pair.