I’m obsessed with a few Italian things: Cannolis, for one. MTV’s Jersey Shore, for another. While I can count the amount of cool girl fashion brands that have taken over the hearts and minds of Who What Wear editors, there weren’t any cosmetics brands on my radar until I stumbled upon Espressoh— a minimalist fun foray into bright colors, dewy products, and a “your skin, but better” philosophy that’s revolutionized the makeup game within the United States. While we have brands like Glossier, Merit, or Saie, Espressoh is one of the few cool girl brands dominating the market. As usual, you’d have to thank founder Chiara Cascella and her team for that.
“I was working in Paris for the number one multinational beauty company and realized how important is the make-up industry in Italy: about 65% of color cosmetics worldwide is actually sourced and produced in Italy and there wasn’t any independent digital, native Italian brand and I was like “we need one!,” Cacella told Who What Wear. Thus, her Italian brain-child was born.
The brand’s influence in Europe has only grown since coming to fruition over the last few years. While their glassy blush went viral on TikTok for it’s cherub-esque flushed affect (and promptly, sold out), their in-store experience has only blossomed. They’re bringing the brand stateside with pop-up beauty counters in Los Angeles after successful tours in Rome and Bari, opening in late March.
Everything is intentional— from the shade names (pummarò, my go-to spring red, is the name of a nostalgic, jarred, tomato purée sold at grocery stores) to the smell of coffee embedded into the formulas. Just like Italian fashion, the brand and Cacella aren’t afraid to play with color eyeshadows and pigments in their every-day looks. Oftentimes, the best on-trend outfit is accentuated by a bit of glitter here and a bold purple lip there. It’s the Italian way, Cacella explains. Just like her makeup, her personal style is a mix of home-grown brands and emerging, fun designers to add a bit of personality into her look.
While we’ve written about spring style here at Who What Wear, we haven’t unlocked the fun, saccharine world of Italian trends and self-expression this season. A quick browse at Cacella’s Instagram will tell you all you need to know: Italians love having fun. Her outfit of choice this year: “This spring I am obsessed with colorful yoga unitards and an oversize blazer on top, and I can wear heels, sneakers, flats or loafers depending on the occasion,” she explained, alluding to the exciting, trendy nature we’ve come to embrace thanks to beloved Italian brands like Miu Miu and Bottega Veneta.
Below, shop all the trends the cool Italian fashion crowd is loving right now, straight from the source herself.
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