A self-proclaimed tomboy, a girly girl and an edgy babe have but one thing in common.
Well, maybe two.
They’re the daughters of Bahram Hakakian — the founder of Barami, a line tailored to the professional woman — and the forces behind Patrizia Luca Milano, the newest woman’s brand to join The Westchester.
With merchandise as eclectic as their personalities, Neda, Nika and Nora Hakakian envisioned a one-stop shop of styles for both work and play. But the dark-haired beauties — all 30 and under — also wanted to create a mother-daughter brand, so the brand would appeal to women from age 20 to 60.
“We’d love to be on the back of every woman’s neck in America and, hopefully, one day internationally,” says eldest sister Neda. “The sidewalk is your runway and we just want to make it happen.”
It’s no easy feat to enter the cutthroat fashion world, but the sisters have a wealth of industry knowledge at their fingertips.
Bahram, who proudly celebrated with his daughters during the store’s grand opening in June, launched Barami, a brand known for its stylish, yet affordable, suits in the 1990s.
“His whole motto was, ‘If you want a key to the executive bathroom, dress like you mean business,’” Neda says. “We grew up eating it — eating that phrase.”
The sisters — who refer to themselves as “NH3” — became involved with Barami at a young age, learning the ins and outs of fashion, merchandising and manufacturing. But as they grew older, Neda says, they began questioning, “How can we make this for us?”
As fate — and a little hard work — would have it, the chance presented itself in 2007, when Bahram opened Patrizia Luca Milano under the umbrella of the Barami Fashion House. Some seven years later Neda heads the wholesale division; Nika, accessories and handbags; and Nora, retail locations.
“It kind of worked out perfectly, because people stopped wearing suits and became more like relaxed professionals in the workplace,” Neda says. “So it really opened up the opportunity for this desk-to-dinner woman.”
Dressed in distressed, black jean shorts and a loose-fitting, white blouse evocative of the traditional, buttoned-up businesswoman, Neda played on the business casual look.
But so did Nika and Nora, in their own ways. Nika, the middle sister, sported a free-flowing, knee-length, parakeet-green dress accented by silver platform sandals. Youngest sister Nora wore an all-black ensemble of high-waisted jeans paired with a versatile hoodie.
“It’s funny, because we literally all share closets, but we put our pieces together so differently,” Neda says. “I’m a classic, chic tomboy, for lack of better verbiage. I’m usually in ripped jeans and a fitted blouse. Nora’s very fashion forward, because when you’re younger, you can totally play with that. Nika is very feminine, very into dresses and whatnot.”
With Neda laughing, Nika smiling and Nora giggling while shaking her head, it’s clear where the brand gets its personality from.
“I’m the mouth, Nika’s the beauty and Nora’s the cool one,” Neda says.
Most of Patrizia Luca Milano’s merchandise is multiwear and multipurpose, so you can settle for just one, (though we don’t think you’ll want to.)
Nora’s black hoodie can actually be worn as a floor-length piece or, by unzipping the translucent, mesh bottom a cropped, jersey sweatshirt.
The brand offers summer totes with laser-cut designs — all reversible. One of the accessories includes an umbrella that opens and closes inside out so as not to wet its surroundings. And all of the cocktail dresses, whether monochromatic or print, can be dressed up or down with accessories, depending on the occasion. (Might we recommend the incredibly stunning Statement Beaded Necklace?)
Many of the pieces also contain hidden accents.
“We’ll take a basic blouse and we’ll make the inside part of the collar purple,” Neda says. “No one else will see it, but even if you’re flipping your hair, that pop of purple will catch the eye of someone across from you.”
Or, she says, they’ll add a hint of pink or purple to the inside piping of a blouse, “to add a little fun to your basics.”
She goes on to mention that Patrizia Luca Milano’s versatility complements the needs of both Patty Lou and Patrizia. And, we immediately ask, why Patrizia Luca Milano? And who are Patty Lou and Patrizia?
Neda then replies, “I always tell people when they ask that it’s like Victoria, it’s a secret. Sometimes we call ‘her’ Patty Lou. Patrizia is more of a mature lady, while Patty Lou is who you’d like to have a drink with.”
For more, visit patrizialuca.com, or follow Patrizia Luca Milano on Instagram @patrizialucamilano.
