The birth of UPLA
Born from a spontaneous need for warmth, the first UPLA was created in an old Palazzo at the foot of the Dolomites a cold autumn day in 2012.
Repurposing a scrap of fabric used for a made-to-measure coat, Elisabetta designs a new garment that wants to be practical, warm and stylish at the same time, to hug and keep her warm in her Atelier.
Like a vest, but quick to make. Similar to a poncho, but more functional to wear. Easy to style over a wool sweater or under a coat.
And so the first UPLA was born.
And from that moment, like the “Linus Blanket”, UPLA follows Elisabetta on her every-day-journey to discover the world around her.
During her trip to the US for Thanksgiving that same year, Elisabetta brings with her new pieces made with different patterns and colors. Thomas, the visionary, starts borrowing and wearing them around the streets of Boston and New York. And immediately it happens. People stop asking what it is, where it comes from, and where they can buy their first.
Over the years their jobs changed, experiences passed, but UPLA stayed with them as an unexpected companion. During every adventure its versatility showed as little patience for limits, as their curiosity and drive.
And in 2019 Elisabetta and Thomas decide to accept the calling and create the first scaled up UPLA collection, crafted out leftover fabrics from prestigious Made in Italy productions. Luxurious textiles saved from the darker less-known sides of the fashion industry.
UPLA is meant to be a new idea of conscious luxury.
A minimal design to emphasize and showcase the beauty of the material, fabrics produced in the first place for the very high-end fashion brands.
A one-of-a-kind product, crafted out the very last meters of fabrics, making each UPLA a unique piece for the person that owns it.
A sharable companion that wraps you and your beloved in a warm hug along your journey. It’s unisex. Single-sized. It adapts around your body and your life.
UPLA is yours to interpret your new cool way to stay warm.