Ana Alcazar

AVANT-GARDE, IDIOSYNCRATIC AND CONTEMPORARY – ANA ALCAZAR IS WORN BY WOMEN WHO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT.

FROM THE RUNWAY TO A LABEL

Ana Alcazar’s story begins in the early eighties in central Munich. Two sisters, Beate and Jutta Ilzhöfer, would spend their evenings tailoring new designs, which they then sold in their small boutique. The successful models had given up the runways of Paris and Milan to set up their own label, then named Tricia Jones. From the outset, the label’s objective was clearly defined: “We’ll only follow through with designs we really love”, said the Ilzhöfer pair. The designers had first-hand experience of runways and the fashion industry. And besides having an intuition for trends, they understood what it was that customers wanted. The sisters transferred all of this fashion knowledge to creating avant-garde pieces and to constantly coming up with fresh designs.


FASHION IN MOTION

The collection proved to be a hit and was a success from the very beginning. The label soon expanded, and (besides Germany) was soon selling designs in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Moscow. The times and people’s tastes changed and the label continued to evolve. In the mid-nineties, as Generation X began to bloom, new factors influenced the fashion world. “People were inquisitive and that made the period so exciting”, the two sisters recall. “The way people styled themselves - it was so individual, so idiosyncratic.” And thus TRICIA JONES developed further. With the restructuring of the company the first ana alcazar collection was brought out in 1995.


ANA ALCAZAR – EXCLUSIVE, CONFIDENT, EMPHATICALLY FEMININE

Femininity as a statement: the ana alcazar collection captivated its audience through precise tailoring, strong colors and attention to detail. Certain shapes and forms are borrowed again and again from major fashion eras. This fusion is what makes the brand stand out. To constantly reinvent, to embody the zeitgeist and remain unconditionally faithful to their objective – that’s the designer’s recipe for success. “We put our heart into our work”, reveals Beate Ilzhöfer. “To think solely of profits kills the instinct”. The city collections play effortlessly with fabrics and materials. Opulent prints, strong colors and innovative textile combinations make pieces wearable for both business meetings and a long night of partying. Particularly luxurious fabrics are contrasted with sequins, chains or fur. Simple elegance, sophisticated chic, millefleurs or retro – anything goes, as long as the designers agree. However, certain principles are always in place. The way the material falls, how it feels – the quality has to be just right. The collections go against the mainstream; they’re very extravagant – but always wearable.


NO LONGER IN THE SHADE – FASHION FOR THE LIMELIGHT

There’s no doubt about it, ana alcazar designs draw attention to themselves. They’re for women, who like to stand out. ana alcazar creates fashion for courageous women, who know just what they want. The two designer’s slogan fits this perfectly: “We advocate individualism and demand open-mindedness and a certain esteem for quality and exclusive fashion.” It’s this unique blend of defiance and femininity that makes ana alcazar such a success.


FORGING CREATIVITY AT PRINZREGENTENPLATZ – MOVING INTO A MANSION

Creativity requires space and consistently new impulses. In 2010 the label moved into a mansion at Prinzregentenplatz in Munich. From this location, Be and Ju Ilzhöfer conceptualize upcoming collections, which, just like the atelier, are becoming ever more exclusive. However, they refuse to abandon their playful side.