The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

Tribute Sandal in gold leather has a 15 cm heel and 3 cm platform with buckle fastening. Clothing, purses and wallets, include Fendi Puffer Jacket, Balmain Crystal Embellished Jacket, Prada One Shoulder Dress, Chanel Wallet Purse, Chanel Reissue Wallet on Chain and Louis Vuitton Porte Monnaie Round Coin Case. Jewel- lery consists of Hermes Carmel Key Ring in pink lambskin and Bag Charm in orange Milo lambskin, Fendi Mon Tresor Micro Bucket Bag Charm Z and N in brown canvas and leather with gold-tone hardware. There are also Chanel Stud or Drop Earrings and a Tiffany T Two Single Chain Bracelet. Aquila revealed fashion is part of her personality and is showcased to an extent in what she wears. “Fashion has always been with me from a very young age as my parents were both in the fashion industry themselves. Now that I have a business in fashion, I’m excited every day.” She went on to add that London is one of the main cities at the fore- front of fashion. “London is vibrant, exciting and diverse when it comes to fashion. It allows people from all backg- rounds to showcase their style.” Her favourite accessory designers are Gucci who releases amazing, innovative and yet wearable creative designs; Dior because of their classy and effortless pieces; Chanel who are wonderfully timeless and Zara, because she tends to mix and match High Street with luxury brands. The first accessory she purchased 35 years ago was a Gucci bag which she still has to this day and won’t part with it. “It is a reminder of how hard I worked to be able to buy my first luxury brand handbag.” This wonderfully awesome lady finds luxury and fashionable designs innovative and comfortable to wear. “Although I am a UK size 16, some items are too small for me but I have them altered. But this is slowly changing now in the industry.” Aquila believes that a quality product lasts for a reasonable amount of time, can be worn with anything and is timeless. She is also amazed at the progress of her busi- ness’ growth. “Being an advocate of selling preloved items is incredibly important to me so expanding the business and spreading the word to consumers makes me very proud.” To relax, Aquila likes to watch TV especially Korean dramas at the moment. “Especially since Covid, I’ve become a bit of a hermit and a TV addict!” she confessed. She promotes her business through their social media channels such as Instagram where they do livestream shopping every Sunday, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. “We also have private Facebook groups and a private WhatsApp group which allows customers on our waiting list to see products before they launch on the website.” Another resourceful social movement is having influen- cers talk about the brand’s story, what they do regarding the Circular Economy concept and what preloved is all about on their channels. Papillonkia has started working on its PR strategy which has also been very successful. “In fact, we’ve just seen [British radio presenter] Vick Hope wearing one of our vintage Louis Vuitton rings on the red carpet at the National Television Awards.” Aquila’s plans and goals are to build Papillonkia to the next level, go public one day and list the business on the Stock Exchange. “That is a dream I will always strive for until I succeed.” Papillonkia’s preloved luxury items are available online on the website. https://papillonkia.com biteaccessories illonkia Images courtesy of Amanda Ferrari PR