“It feels like a hug and it’s forever” says Neves of The Esthe, which comprises elegant mesh and silk clothes designed to feel like a second skin
- Who is it? The Esthe is the label from Brazil-born London-based designer Daniela Cecilio Neves and her business partner Emmanuelle Junqueira.
- Why do I want it? Elegant mesh and silk “midwear” that can be layered to create your own unique silhouette.
- Where can I find it? The Esthe is available for pre-order from the brand’s website.
Who is it? Before pioneering the fashion e-commerce industry in London, Daniela Cecilio Neves had already made her mark as an entrepreneur in Sao Paolo, Brazil, holding pop-ups – the first of their kind in her hometown – to launch her first brand, Meu Armario. Despite the success of the collections, Neves realised that she had more to learn first-hand from an established designer: “I called Emmanuelle Junqueira, a bridal designer who also had a small ready-to-wear collection,” recalls Neves, “She said ‘come work with me.’ I was doing everything. Appointments, brides, I saw it all.” So, some 20 years later when she was toying with launching The Esthe, it was Junqueira that Neves would turn to for advice.
After relocating to London to study fashion at Central Saint Martins, Neves pivoted to fashion technology, taking on a key role as part of the founding team of Farfetch and then launching her own two businesses, ASAP 54 and Fashion Concierge. But after taking time off to raise her two daughters, she had a desire to get back to the material, design aspect of fashion – to create clothes that she wanted to see in the market. “So one day, I just took out my collection from 20 years ago. I redesigned everything,” she explains, “but it was all the same concept. An evolution of my initial designs.” Returning to Brazil, she confided her idea in Junqueira, who offered to produce the garments in her atelier. “Despite the designs being mine, her input and detail to fabric, embroidery, and other things were crucial,” says Neves, “so she became a partner in the business.”
The Esthe, which is named after Neves’ two daughters, is composed around a capsule of “midwear”: mesh, silk, and lace pieces that can be layered and unlayered. The first collection was launched via a trunk show at the designer’s home with the intention of seeing how the clothes take on their own life in the worlds of her friends and family. “In parking that dream back then, I think I parked a part of who I am as well and left it there,” she reminisces, “Now bringing it back and having this connection with Brazil, and seeing my friends come through the door and go crazy for the collection – it was incredible.”
Why do I want it? With its initial offering of fine mesh basics – like body suits, bralettes, tops – and delicately draped silk and lace dresses, The Esthe lays out its concept of “midwear.” The mesh is conceived of as a second skin – “it feels like a hug and it’s forever” – and belays an inclusive and empowering view of femininity, “of being in connection with yourself, showing who you are, the truth, the light that comes through”. But Neves never defines a singular silhouette; rather, she beautifully celebrates how each wearer may layer her pieces as much as they like, to reveal or conceal as much as they feel comfortable with. In this vein, each piece has been meticulously cut so as to fit and enhance “every single body, no matter whether you’re curvy, skinny, tall or short”. “I think that’s what made me the happiest,” muses the designer, “we sold it to women from 30 to 60 years old, from models to real women to mothers – a whole range of people.”
The garments are made by Junqueira and her team of five women (who have been working together in the atelier for 17 years now) in Brazil. Although the designs are purposefully simple – each mesh piece contains a single seam – the fabrics used have been carefully selected for their luxuriousness. The mesh micro tulle, for example, is from Brazil – “it has a rawness and a gentleness to it that I can’t find anywhere else” – whilst the silks and laces are all from France. Each is of remarkable durability, testament to Neves’ desire to conceive a label that is both timeless in quality and elegance.
With each collection, the designer intends to introduce new items that can be neatly layered upon previous styles. “The idea is to bring in accessories, like gloves, knitwear – a different take on knitwear that can go on top of the sheer but be protective,” Neves says, “and then bring in more separates, like shirts and trousers, mesh leggings to go under the trousers.” But more than anything, the designer is happy for now to see how The Esthe grows organically: “This just makes my soul expand, my heart grow to launch the business. I think in a way it was a healing process for me, an acceptance process because when you see people show up for you, and then you see that they like what you design, it’s like wow.”
Where can I find it? The Esthe is available for pre-order directly through the label’s website with the next delivery window in February 2024.