Brains, beauty and business acumen: MOJEH meets the co-founder of Maiolica.ae
A vision of confidence in cobalt blue Balenciaga, Arianna Posenato is the Italian 35-year-old co-founder and head of operations at Maiolica.ae – a Dubai-based e-commerce start-up selling handmade homewear inspired by all things Mediterranean.
Sourcing and curating an edit of authentic boutique brands from Italy, Portugal, and other Mediterranean countries, having travelled the world personally selecting products from aspirational artisans and finding beautiful and unique homewares, it should come as no surprise that Arianna has a refined sense of style.
Having recently celebrated the platform’s one year anniversary with her business
partner, Marianna Piccolo, Arianna describes her business as going well beyond her expectations.
“I love design in all its forms, whether fashion, interiors or arts, and somehow always knew I would have ended up working for an inspirational, design-related
project,” she tells us.
Not one to let an opportunity pass, Arianna constantly tunes in to the industry around her, looking to podcasts and people to stay motivated and up-to-date.
“I like to follow daily videos and podcasts from Italian entrepreneur Marco Montemagno,” she says.
“I believe people have to nd their own path, but I really admire the late Franca Sozzani and Tamara Mellon, the co-founder and former creative director of Jimmy Choo. She very much believes in female entrepreneurship, and I truly consider her a business icon who managed to disrupt traditional luxury by empowering the female consumer.”
As for style, that’s something that has been passed down through the generations. “My grandma is a fashion addict, she has always been my fashion mentor and still is today at 90 years old. She often says, ‘Always have a gala gown in your wardrobe, and hide a red lipstick behind the console at home. You never know who’s knocking at your door!’”
For Arianna, fashion’s appeal is in its diversity. “I love how fashion can be heterogeneous, yet always fresh and exciting.” She says, admitting her own style leans towards a more sleek and contemporary aesthetic.
Arianna credits Racil and Peter Pilotto as her go-to designers for well-tailored blazers, as well as Fozaza. When it comes to accessorizing, she can be more experimental.
“I like all the colourful, retro-style hairbands, too, and lots of jewellery. I like to mix and match luxury brands with affordable fashion or vintage finds.” As well as enjoying the convenience of online shopping she also says she loves the physical experience of “strolling, looking in store windows, and actually shopping in-store."
When it comes to personal style icons, actress Blake Lively is top of her list. “She can be extravagant in Christian Louboutin pumps, or feminine in a Gatsby-inspired suit, but always classy,” she says. Concluding with the famous Coco Chanel quote, “Fashion changes, but style endures.”
