Prêt-À-Poundo: Della x Urban Outfitters Ghanaian Textile Collection
Scroll through the African fashion collaboration between Della and Urban Outfitters.
Photography by Sequoia Ziff
Della and Urban Outfitters have collaborated for a sustainable capsule collection. Los Angeles native Tina Tangalakis, founder of the Della label, combines her costume design craft with humanitarian work. In September 2009, Tangalakis participated in a volunteer program in Hohoe, Ghana. She fell in love with the nation's culture and used her background in business and design to work with a local entrepreneur and start Della. "My main influences are classic, vintage style. My love for design began when I fell in love with fashion history and how social trends reflect in how people dress. Today I seek to bridge modern design with classic style, while bringing traditional Ghanaian textiles into the mix. It’s fun, I love it."
The pieces are pretty simple with nice prints for spring and summer. They're the kind of prints you'll match easily with bold and/or plain pieces. Tangalakis states, "A full Della collection of clothing and accessories was launched in Urban Outfitters. It has taken a lot of hard work. Perhaps more than one could ever imagine. I often equate building a business to an old-fashioned courtship. It's a slow progression of communication, building trust and proving your worth. Then there's the follow-through. None of this would have been possible without our amazing team in Ghana, who worked together towards our shared mission. Thanks to this partnership we have been able to expand our impact, working with artisans outside of our general region. I am both in awe and humbled by this opportunity. My dream has always been to bridge art and humanitarian work, and this collection is the first step in realizing that dream. I can only hope that this opens more doors, not just for the Della community but by setting an example for others who seek to use their talents to bring about change."