Raika D.: From Fashion Dolls To Fashion Life
By Mari Davis
(Photo below: Raika D. on the runway (left) with her husband Luca (center) and Nicky Hilton, Fall 2004. Photo by Javier Mateo

NEW YORK, Aug 29, 2003/ FW/ --- For designer Raika D., her life of fashion started when she was a little girl in her native Zara, Croatia, creating unique designs for her dolls.

And unlike most little girls who discard their dolls after a certain age, Raika continued playing with 'dolls,' but instead of the Barbie-sized ones, she started designing for 'living dolls.'

Her vision is simple - 'personify women with feminine romantic designs.'

At the age of 18, after mastering the art of design in her hometown, Raika moved to Milan on her own with the desire to fulfill her dreams in fashion.

Starting as a model at Centro Spossa, a department store, she was promoted to a buyer and then a designer.

It was at Centro Spossa where the young Raika got her feet wet on a commercial level.

With the needs of the customers foremost on her mind, her collections for Centro Spossa was a big hit, resulting to a dramatic sales increase for the store.

Needing to expand her horizon, Raika moved to Carpi and joined the design team of Pat-en, a distinguised knitwear company in the region. From there, Raika learned designing on the manufacturer level.

At 28, ten years after leaving Crotia, Raika felt she was ready to be on her own. Together with her husband Luca, she launched her first label - 'Dolce and Ribelle,' specializing in knitwear.

Dolce and Ribelle became a commercial success and up to now, it is the most important pręt-a-porter producer in the region.

Raika who cannot be stagnant raised the ante on herself once again in 2002 when she launched her second line 'Raika D.'

Returning to Milan, the high-end ready-to-wear collection debuted on the Milan runway.

Since its inception, Raika D. has opened 480 doors worldwide including Anna Mode in San Remo, Italy and two of her own boutiques in Moscow, Russia.

After taking Europe by storm, Raika decided to cross the Atlantic and introduce Raika D. to the New York fashion scene.

“I feel that it is time for the world to view the deep sensuality of a woman in Raika D. My passion for the collection revolutionizes the way women are perceived,” explained the designer why she chose to show in New York for the Spring 2004 season.

In the future, Raika visualizes opening additional Raika D. boutiques in major cities in America and all over the world.

Raika made her debut in New York's Bryant Park during the Spring 2004 season.

Fall 2004 (Photo by Javier Mateo)

Spring 2004 (Photo by Javier Mateo)

Contact Info:
RAIKA D
3471 N. Federal Hwy, #411
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306

Buyers Contact:
Carmine Di Sarno
T: 954-568-1000
F: 954-390-0114
E: info@italiaelegante.com

Press Contact:
LA PRESSE
150 West 28th Street, Suite 904
New York, NY 10001
Contact: Bonnie Bien
T: (212) 255-2100
F: (212) 255-8109

Showroom:
141 East 55th St, Suite 8C
New York, NY 10022
Tel: (212) 307-7406
Fax: (212) 307-7428