We love working with moms, and we wanted to give this mother of three a little break and pampering in her busy schedule. Alessia Chizzoniti, a mother of three kids, is a birth and postpartum doula, and babywearing coach. Chizzoniti is always working on new exciting projects in Beijing, and she was ready to let her hair down. Our favorite hair stylist at Blow+Bar in Sanlitun’s 3.3 Mall went for the popular balayage blond, as Chizzoniti was adamant that she did not want to get her roots dyed. Too much upkeep for a busy lady, we could not agree more. She has the most amazing amount of curls we had ever seen, and it took a long time to get it all under control, but we managed to take control of her wild side (sort of) and give it a very glam makeover.

We chose an old favorite to dress Chizzoniti up in. Aloha Baraka was the perfect fit for this mom, and the creative motifs that are equally tropical and Dongbei Chinese on the dress and the scarf made us smile. Aloÿse de La Ronde, the creator of this lovely and stylish brand, only makes a limited number of dresses in each fabric as she wants the pieces to be unique and special. She also makes use of spacious pockets as a part of her signature design, which is a big plus for moms who need a little extra storage space.

De la Ronda explained the meaning behind her brand’s moniker: “Aloha means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. Aloha is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. Baraka is an Arabic word and can be found within physical objects, places, and people. This force begins by flowing directly from God into a creation that is worthy of Baraka. These creations endowed with Baraka can then transmit the flow of Baraka to others.”

We used Papagena Studio to make Chizzoniti’s look sparkle. Ryoko Makino is a Japanese mom of two kids, and she spent her early career in the printing and art-auction world and made her longtime hobby of designing jewelry into a business when living in India before coming to Beijing. Inspired through her world travels and discoveries of local craftsmanship and also through her family influence of Japanese-painting artists, Papagena Studio delivers unique and elegant pieces using natural stones and materials collected from all over that will surely spice up your everyday looks.

Get this Look

Hair: Blow+Bar, Sanlitun
3021, 3/F, 3.3 Shopping Mall, 33 Sanlitun Lu Chaoyang District (5136 5432)
Clothes: Aloha Baraka, WeChat: aloysealose
Jewelry: Papagena Studio, papagenastudio.com

Photos: Uni You
This article appeared on p14-15 of beijingkids March 2018 issue.

We are always looking for bright colors and some sunshine in the polluted grayness of Beijing. Aloÿse de La Ronde, creator of the brand Aloha Baraka, no doubt felt the same way when creating these colorful dresses, bags, and fabrics that make you smile through the PM2.5. Each time I see her fabrics I can’t help but wonder, how on earth did she find the amazing inspiration to create these super cute dresses?

Aloÿse de la Ronde is of French descent and has been in Beijing for the last eight years. She wanted to find the perfect dress to make Beijing a bit more cheerful. When she could not find her style in stores, de la Ronde decided to make them herself. She wanted colorful fashion that would make an impact, and once people started noticing her designs, they were all immediately interested.

After she was done revamping her own closet and redecorating her home with flashy fabrics, she started on her friend’s wardrobes. In May 2016 she decided to start her brand, Aloha Baraka. She had people ready to help her with fashion shoots and to contribute in making her new brand a success.

She sources her fabric from different places around the world. When de la Ronde receives fabrics, she does tests to ensure the fabric’s colors are washing machine proof, as this is one of her requirements to make sure they can be easily cleaned. As a mother myself I can’t agree more that only machine washable dresses will do these days.

De la Ronda only makes a limited number of dresses in each fabric as she wants the pieces to be unique and special. She also makes use of spacious pockets as a part of her signature design, which adds to the unique utilitarian character of her products. What is more special is the name she gave to her brand, Aloha Baraka, in a bid to combine the best of two cultures and work in a minuscule way towards not only creating beauty through these unique threads but also a better and more loving world.

De la Ronda explained; “Aloha means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. Aloha is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. Baraka is an Arabic word and can be found within physical objects, places, and people. This force begins by flowing directly from God into a creation that is worthy of Baraka. These creations endowed with Baraka can then transmit the flow of Baraka to the other creations.”

Photos: Courtesy of Aloha Baraka