When I came back from Athens, I went immediately to Widder Hotel in Zurich where my Valentino girls, Gianfranca and Elisa, had prepared a beautiful surprise birthday dinner for our dear friend Albena Gateva.
Albena loves butterflies and the transformation. Therefore she made the animal her logo.
Albena and I had met at a CHANEL fashion show and have become immediately friends as we both share the same love for fashion. The Bulgarian born bombshell took her passion a step further and launched Albella Privè in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic. Her project was to recreate the human connection that became unstable and uncertain during this difficult historical time.
Her purpose was to create communicative seams, weaves and plots for the most loved ones, her friends. Albena wanted to reinvent a pure and sincere expressive language through her clothes that speak of complicity, friendship, intuition, affection, beauty and being a woman: this is how Albella Privé was born.
For her birthday, her best friend Tula Schuker, who had just been the cover girl in Albella Privè for Glamour Bulgaria, and I wore Albella Privé brocade jackets.
Tula and me in Albella Privé.
At the moment you can find her designs at Blu Boutique in Lugano and on her website.
A beautiful nod to Valentino: The Rockstud birthday cake.
Happy Birthday, Albena! I am sure we will see so much more from you soon…
LoL, Sandra
Albena framed by her best friends: Tula and Cristina Valcuende, who had flown in from Spain.
Bravo Elisa and Gianfranca! You organized the surprise so well!
Tula and Alena Bischofberger with me.
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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