Joy-spreading jewellery designer Rosh Mahtani’s Alighieri shows have frequently reminded Vogue editors of weddings owing to their sense of ceremony—and the odd tear shed. “Jewellery is so synonymous with tying people together and weddings are the ultimate ritual,” says Mahtani via Zoom.
After feeling keenly the disappointment of her customers and studio staff whose nuptials were postponed over the last year, Hatton Garden’s brightest export is aiming to reignite the celebratory mood via a twinkling new proposition.
She has launched a bridal atelier line—comprising bespoke engagement rings and fantastical crystal mesh pieces to rent—which Alighieri fans will be able to try on in person. Mahtani will even treat the brand’s mythology-obsessed fans and new friends, alike, to an Italian supper and a manicure, so that their custom ring consultations look all the more polished.
If the thought of pasta and trinket trying on is an excitement overload after a year spent in your own home, let us break down the essential information. From 5 to 9 May, Mahtani reopened the doors to Alighieri Old Town at London’s 4 Dingley Place; a veritable slice of heaven emulating an Italian piazza, complete with a tabaccheria stocked with the brand’s dainty gold souvenirs, and a Casa Luna trattoria in collaboration with Pasta Evangelists.
Originally launched eight months ago during a gap between lockdowns, Mahtani’s mission was simple: to reunite friends and form new ones, while they pick up uniquely modern heirlooms along the way. This time around, it was opening its doors for just four days.
Rosh likens the process of shopping at Mariella’s bridal—the ephemeral boutique stocking the label’s exquisite talismans—to old-school couture salons. “Customers can come and be inspired by the pieces Frankie, the head of our atelier, has already created by hand and then build upon them,” shares Rosh of the bespoke process. “Renting also gives access to that high-impact warrior-princess look in an accessible way.”
Weddings, she is fully aware, can be incredibly costly—“everyone should be able to create that magical ritual no matter what their budget is”—which is why she is also offering to help curate and fund the entire celebration of one client.
From the bridal party’s jewellery to the sweet place settings and everything in between, an exquisite micro Alighieri wedding is only a registration away (pop and see Rosh in the Old Town between your aperitivo and pappardelle). “Telling people’s stories is so fun for us,” she says, feeling energised by the tales that await her at Dingley Place.
While Rosh has always encouraged her community to have an open dialogue with her, bridal is undoubtedly the most personal Alighieri project to date. The pop-up is a sweet tribute to her customers, who have marked points in their lives with Alighieri emblems, and a stepping stone towards her first store—a landmark moment in Mahtani’s own life that she couldn’t deserve more.
