a la Feria
La Feria de Abril is held two weeks after Easter in Seville, Spain every year. It started in 1847 as a stock sale for farmers but it was such a hit with the public it eventually turned into one of the most important Spanish cultural festivals to date and one of the world’s greatest marvels.
I was enchanted by the glamorous horses and carriages strutting down the streets lined with typical glowing paper lanterns and colourful marquees. Seas of bright Flamenco dresses swirling in unison to the music, everyone was there; grandparents, mum and dad, children and friends. When I talk to Sevillanos about la Feria and what it means to them, it gives me goosebumps. Their passion for this week long festival leaves them without words to fully describe it. If that isn´t living, I don´t know what is!
La Feria has only ever been stopped twice, for two years during the Civil War and for two years due to Covid. This year it´s back, bigger, brighter, louder and happier than ever and I´m taking you with me! There was no way this collection wasn’t going to be inspired by experience at la Feria.
Once again I collaborated with the Galician mother-daughter-duo who made me the gold and silver crochet pieces which I turned into earrings and cuffs. I used a lot of freshwater pearls in all sorts of shapes and forms along with precious stones such as amazonite, coral, zirconia and chrysocolla. All of the findings and studs are varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated making them treasures to be adored and adorned for years to come.
So put on your dancing shoes and your twirliest dress nos vamos a la Feria!
With love from Spain,
Annabelle xo
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, small gold or silver crochet rings with hand sewn freshwater pearls and varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated disc studs. They measure 9cm in length and are super light! These earrings take nearly 4 hours of work, stitch by stitch, pearl by pearl, true artistry. These are on PRE ORDER for the moment, delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
The gold and silver crochet rings were lovingly handmade by the mother-daughter duoSea & Horse. Charo and Brenda are Galician artisans/designers/women of many talents that are keeping traditional techniques alive. They made all my accessory dreams come true. I would explain to them the design I wanted and they problem solved until we had something even better than I had in mind. They’d send me the crochet pieces and I got to work turning them into earrings and sewing on pearls. To be able to collaborate with them on these special pieces again is such a privilege and pleasure.
La Sevillana is not only the name for a woman from Seville, but it is also a style of Flamenco from Seville. It’s usually the gateway to learning how to dance Flamenco as it’s slower and easier to follow. Every colourful tent in la Feria de Abril is full of swirling Flamenco dresses dancing Sevillanas and it wouldn’t ever be a night out or a family gathering without a few of these danced all together - young, old and everyone in between, even babies are seen twirling their hands as their family spin them around on the dance floor.
In Euros these earrings are valued around 115EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, gold or silver crochet cuff with hand sewn freshwater pearls. The cuff has a metal base that can be adjusted to size with pressure. These pieces take nearly 2 hours of work, stitch by stitch, pearl by pearl, true artisanry.
The metal base cuff was cleverly crocheted with wool by the mother-daughter duoSea & Horse. Charo and Brenda are Galician artisans/designers/women of many talents that are keeping traditional techniques alive. They made all my accessory dreams come true. I would explain to them the design I wanted and they problem solved until we had something even better than I had in mind. They’d send me the crochet pieces and I got to work sewing on pearls. To be able to collaborate with them on these special pieces again is such a privilege and pleasure.
La Sevillana is not only the name for a woman from Seville, but it is also a style of Flamenco from Seville. It’s usually the gateway to learning how to dance Flamenco as it’s slower and easier to follow. Every colourful tent in la Feria de Abril is full of swirling Flamenco dresses dancing Sevillanas and it wouldn’t ever be a night out or a family gathering without a few of these danced all together - young, old and everyone in between, even babies are seen twirling their hands as their family spin them around on the dance floor.
In Euros these earrings are valued around 63EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
You can follow more of Charo and Brenda’s work here Sea & Horse
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, miniature freshwater pearls and a varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated T clasp necklace with a pearl adornment. You can personalise the necklace with the initial of your choice in solid sterling silver or plated in 2 microns of 18k gold and/or your choice of pearl adornment. You will be prompted to indicate the letter and the shaped pearl you would like. I will email you later on with photos of the necklace to make sure you like it. This necklace is designed to wear the clasp at the front but you can also wear it reversed which looks great layered with other necklaces. It measures 40cm but if you would like a different length, please indicate the measurement when prompted. PRE ORDERS can take up to 4 weeks to be delivered due to gold plating.
Los Farolillos are distinct colourful little paper lanterns that line the ceilings of the marquees and the streets of the Royal Precinct where la Feria de Abril is celebrated in Seville every year. They are now typical decorations at all of the Ferias around Spain but they were introduced by the painter Gustavo Bacarisas in 1887 when the organisation contracted him to unify the aesthetics of the different casetas (the little marquees). The famous Sevillana songUn cielo de farolilloscaptures beautifully the ambiance these decorations create. Their warm glow is like a scene out of a Woody Allen film if he were ever to do one set in southern Spain.
In Euros this necklace is valued around 75/100/60EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, black or red fabric turban headband from Seville with hand sewn freshwater pearls and mother of pearl flowers, the way to make quite an entrance.
The Flamenco dress is probably the most famous icon of Spain, yet its origins are very humble - They came from the typical gypsy outfit. It is said that the gypsy women working in their beautiful frills with the stock at the Feria (when it was just a stock sale) were admired by wealthier women attending the Feria who started to adapt it for themselves. Today most Flamenco dresses are custom made and can cost thousands of euros. It’s the only living, breathing, evolving traditional dress that has it’s very own fashion week. Every year the incredible array of Flamenco designers mark the trends for the year in their parades at the Flamenco Fashion Week in Seville and everyone attending La Feria de Abril gets a new dress made or adjusts an old one to make sure that it is on trend. It’s the most beautiful fashion eco-system there is.
In Euros these crowns are valued around 94EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados & Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, 18k gold plated findings/gold stainless steel chain or sterling silver chain with delicate freshwater pearl cross adornments. These necklaces measure 40cm or 45cm. The gold ones are on PRE ORDER only atm, delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
La Portada is a giant intricate installation inspired by buildings from around the city that quite often look a lot like a church or a palace that serves as the main entrance to la Feria. Every year a new one is designed and built with incredible lighting at night. The night before la Feria de Abril starts everyone gathers at the Portada for the Alumbrao. When the clock strikes midnight the hundreds of thousands of lights on the Portada and through all the precinct’s little streets light up to celebrate the official start of La Feria. It sure beats New Years Eve and just two weeks after La Semana Santa (a sombre week of relinquishing their sins with long painful processions throughout Easter) the city is reborn! Click here if you would like to see the different Portadas throughout the years and at the end some videos of them lighting up for the Alumbrao.
In Euros these necklaces are valued around 43/46EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, amazonite stones with freshwater pearls and varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated disc studs. They measure 4.5cm in length and are light! These are on PRE ORDER for the moment, delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
A Caseta is the colourful little marquee that each Sevillan family sets up and decorates to celebrate la Feria de Abril. Many families spend a small fortune on their Caseta and their friends and family every year; they have their own waitstaff, bar, catering dance floors and music. Traditionally they were for sealing deals on buying and selling stock but as the Feria has evolved into a social event they became more lively. In saying that, speaking to some Sevillanos whose Caseta I was invited to, said they still do quite a bit of business throughout the Feria inviting clients to their Casetas too. Seville’s Feria is known for being very prestigious as there are only a handful of public Casetas but if you go to the Ferias in Córdoba, Jerez and Malaga there are many public Casetas.
In Euros these earrings are valued around 46/50EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, amazonite stones and beads and varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated T clasp. They measure 41cm in length and are designed to wear the clasp at the front but can also be worn at the back and look great layered with other necklaces. These are on PRE ORDER for the moment, delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
A Caseta is the colourful little marquee that each Sevillan family sets up and decorates to celebrate la Feria de Abril. Many families spend a small fortune on their Caseta and their friends and family every year; they have their own waitstaff, bar, catering dance floors and music. Traditionally they were for sealing deals on buying and selling stock but as the Feria has evolved into a social event they became more lively. In saying that, speaking to some Sevillanos whose Caseta I was invited to, said they still do quite a bit of business throughout the Feria inviting clients to their Casetas too. Seville’s Feria is known for being very prestigious as there are only a handful of public Casetas but if you go to the Ferias in Córdoba, Jerez and Malaga there are many public Casetas.
In Euros these necklaces are valued around 59/57EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, miniature Chrysocolla beads, green agate crosses and varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated T clasp with a green agate cross adornment. They measure 39cm in length and are designed to wear the clasp at the front but can also be worn at the back and look great layered with other necklaces! These are on PRE ORDER only atm, delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
You can personalise the necklace with the initial of your choice in solid sterling silver or plated in 2 microns of 18k gold. You will be prompted to indicate the letter you would like and length if you prefer it longer or shorter. Personalised pieces are made to order and delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
El Real is the precinct where la Feria de Abril is held in Seville - Kind of like your typical country town show grounds. It’s perfectly manicured, compacted yellow gravel, typical from the south of Spain is covered in perfectly decorated marquees creating perfect little streets with rows and rows of little lanterns (farolillos) dancing above in the blue sky by day and by night. Every year it turns into a magical Flamenco wonderland for an entire week.
In Euros these necklaces are valued around 57/77/54EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
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Limited edition, handmade by Annabelle, large gold or silver crochet rings with hand sewn freshwater pearls and varnished 18k gold or sterling silver plated disc studs. They measure 11cm in length and are very light! These earrings take over 4 hours of work, stitch by stitch, pearl by pearl, true artisanry. The gold pair are on PRE ORDER only atm, delivery may take up to 4 weeks.
The gold and silver crochet rings were lovingly handmade by the mother-daughter duoSea & Horse. Charo and Brenda are Galician artisans/designers/women of many talents that are keeping traditional techniques alive. They made all my accessory dreams come true. I would explain to them the design I wanted and they problem solved until we had something even better than I had in mind. They’d send me the crochet pieces and I got to work turning them into earrings and sewing on pearls. To be able to collaborate with them on these special pieces again is such a privilege and pleasure.
La Sevillana is not only the name for a woman from Seville, but it is also a style of Flamenco from Seville. It’s usually the gateway to learning how to dance Flamenco as it’s slower and easier to follow. Every colourful tent in la Feria de Abril is full of swirling Flamenco dresses dancing Sevillanas and it wouldn’t ever be a night out or a family gathering without a few of these danced all together - young, old and everyone in between, even babies are seen twirling their hands as their family spin them around on the dance floor.
In Euros these earrings are valued around 120EUR.
a la Feria Photography: Valentina Galeano | Models: Ana Granados& Pepa | MUAH: Leopoldo Rodriguez / Wardrobe: el Divan de Coco
You can follow more of Charo and Brenda’s work here Sea & Horse