25 October 2003
HIS fashion clients include Europe's royal families, Arabian princesses, and an A-list of celebrities ... to wear an outfit by Ettore Bilotta is not just a statement of style-consciousness, it proclaims membership of an elite and exclusive clientele.
A Bilotta creation speaks of luxury and individuality - his designs are limited to only one piece of each item, and all are hand-made.
Since the age of 19 when he finished his studies at the European Institute of Fashion in Rome, Ettore Bilotta has devoted his life to realizing a childhood dream of fashion originality and imagination, while holding true to classic principles of cut and fabric.
He began his career with the imperial haute couture houses of Italy and Switzerland, including Rafaella Curiel in Milan and Lancetti in Rome, before launching his own fashion establishment - 'EB' - at the age of 30. Since then the name of Bilotta has become synonymous with high fashion at its best.
He is currently in the Middle East to complete the design of a range of outfits for Etihad cabin crew, the new national airline of the UAE that begins operations in November.
His inspiration has been drawn from the diverse cultural strands of the region - the desert, the play of sunshine and moonlight, and the importance that Middle East women give to their style, quality, and luxury of their clothing.
"I travel a lot and always look with stylist's eyes at how flight attendants are dressed," he explains. "For Etihad, I had a competition with myself to come up with something really different - a unique design that would combine the best of Italian style and Arabic traditions.
"It had to be luxurious but also practical, good to be worn every day at work."
Elegance, simplicity, and practicality were his watchwords, starting with intensive research to determine the right fabric for the expression he sought, followed by simple and practical cuts. Neutral colours were chosen - "to provide assurance to guests, and to provide a feeling of warmth, security, serenity, comfort and luxury".
Luxury is a dominant influence for Bilotta, and he is now planning a new collection based on traditional Arabic materials combined with crystals and diamonds. He is strongly attracted by veils and abayas, their flowing movements and their air of mystery.
"The new collection for the UAE will be very rich, unique and elegant," he says. "As with Etihad, I'm trying to establish a kind of equilibrium between traditional dresses and my own style.
"European women tend to be more simple in their dresses, they prefer to wear things that are more comfortable for daywear and can still be worn in the evening after work. Arab women are more exacting in their requirements - they want to be completely different from others around them and tend to have more time to choose the right designs for different occasions.
"They always look after the details and want to look unique. There's a kind of competition between women here in wearing the best, and that's why I'd love to put a show in Dubai or Abu Dhabi as well as our regular seasonal shows in Paris or Milan."
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© Press Release 2005
