Alvarno

Arnaud Maillard set his sights on a career in the fine arts from a very young age, joining the Atelier Fleuri Delaporte. He trained as a designer at the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Before completing his studies, he secured a position in Karl Lagerfeld’s press department, with whom he went on to work very closely for 15 years. Between 1998 and 2005, he served as Studio Director at LAGERFELD GALLERY, where he managed the team, oversaw the creation and selection of themes, fabrics, colours, designs and accessories; monitored budgets and negotiated with suppliers; selected and approved designs in line with the brand image; the development of silhouettes, as well as the launch of collaborations with DIESEL, NAPAPIJRI, ROBERT WAN and WALTER STEIGER, and the management of co-branding initiatives with H&M and WOLFORD, amongst others. In 2006, he was appointed Creative Director at SYBILLA for the Sybilla and Jocomomola women’s ready-to-wear collections and the brand’s licences in Japan; he presented a collection at Paris Fashion Week in March 2007. In October 2007, he decided to embark on a personal project: the creation and opening of Madrid’s first luxury vintage boutique, LE FAUBOURG, where he selects items at international auctions to curate an exclusive collection.

On 18 February 2010, he held the first fashion show for his new label, ALVARNO, at the Palacio Fernán Núñez in Madrid, alongside Álvaro Castejón.

Álvaro Castejón began his career in the world of fashion after completing a four-year engineering degree in his hometown, Pamplona. In 1996, he moved to New York to study fashion design at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). In New York, he combined his studies with an internship at Oscar de la Renta, thus beginning his career at the very highest professional level. He moved to Florence to complete his studies at the Polimoda school in partnership with FIT, and from there he made the big leap to Paris, the capital of international fashion. In 1999, he joined the creative team at Alexander McQueen, working at Givenchy and the McQueen label, where he collaborated on the creation of their ready-to-wear and haute couture collections for a year and a half.

In 2001, he was recruited by the designer Karl Lagerfeld (Creative Director of Chanel, Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld), who at that time was putting together a team to launch a creative project called the Lagerfeld Gallery. During his years working with Karl Lagerfeld, he developed numerous projects, including co-branding ventures with Diesel Jeans and H&M by Karl Lagerfeld.

In 2008, Karl Lagerfeld himself offered him a new challenge by appointing him to lead and manage Fendi’s new creative studio in Paris. On 18 February 2010, he held the first fashion show for his new label, ALVARNO, at the Palacio Fernán Núñez in Madrid, in collaboration with Arnaud Maillard.

ALVARNO

The ALVARNO brand was born from the fusion of two creative forces: Arnaud Maillard and Álvaro Castejón. Their years of experience – both individually and together – working alongside Karl Lagerfeld led them to a shared goal: ALVARNO. They chose Madrid as the starting point for their venture, but always with a clear international focus, given their shared background.

“The Light of Madrid and the Spirit of Paris” is their leitmotif.

Alvarno has succeeded in elevating prêt-à-porter to the level of luxury through an exquisite selection of fabrics, embroidery and meticulous pattern-making.

From the very beginning, Alvarno’s baroque minimalism and the refinement of its prêt-à-couture have captivated the most elegant and charismatic women in our country.

Alvarno dresses women with strong personalities and self-confidence, lending them a ‘rock attitude’ in their everyday lives. Today, Madrid has become the capital of their fashion: pure, luminous and sophisticated.

Their creative talent was channelled not only into their own label but also into the French fashion house Loris Azzaro, where they served as creative directors from 2013 until June 2016. On 10 July 2014, they made their Haute Couture debut in Paris.

On their debut on the catwalk at MBFW Madrid, they won the L’Oréal award for best collection in September 2014. They won it a second time in February 2015 and for the third consecutive time in September 2015.

In September 2021, they presented an upcycling collection in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, transforming archive pieces to give them a new lease of life.

In June 2022, the international jewellery house Cartier presented its high jewellery collection in Madrid, choosing ALVARNO as the exclusive designer for the couture collection. It was a global event featuring seven fashion shows at the Palacio de Liria, attended by VIP guests and the international press.