The phrase “LA style” often conjures the sex-on-heels glamour embodied by any given Kardashian. Unless, that is, you’ve been following the quiet rise of Raquel Allegra.
In fashion and celeb circles, the designer has become synonymous with a kind of effortless, low-key luxury — a more sophisticated SoCal aesthetic. It’s arty-elegance-meets-modern-day-hippie, minus the crunch.
“We’re very casual here,” Allegra says of LA, where she opened her first boutique in May. “We like to express our individuality, but it doesn’t have to be wacky. It can be simple and chic and classic—with a twist.”
For her, that twist often comes via the ultimate California motif: tie-dye.
But Allegra’s pieces are a far cry from your bucket-dipped Fruit of the Loom cotton crews. The designer’s signature textile is deconstructed jersey, spun into tops and dresses that stars like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lea Michele and Michelle Monaghan have been photographed wearing.
Allegra started in fashion about a decade ago, working as a salesgirl at Barneys, where well-heeled clients—including The Line’s Vanessa Traina—would gush over the reworked vintage tees she wore. Savvy to the demand, Allegra began putting on trunk shows to market her designs. And as if by Hollywood magic, at her very first event, Alicia Silverstone and Mary-Kate Olsen popped in.
“That day really marked a big ‘aha’ moment for me,” Allegra tells Alexa. “I just thought to myself, ‘Wow, some cool kids really like what I’m doing, and I’m having fun—maybe I can make a thing out of this.’ ”
Since then, Allegra has broadened her purview beyond T-shirts, each season incorporating new fabrics, shapes and techniques into her haute-bohemian oeuvre. For fall, it was a David Bowie-indebted ’70s show, all “superluxe and fun and velvet,” Allegra says. “It’s cozy rock star — like, all the pieces could be worn with jeans.”
Spoken like a true LA lady.