Barring my family, nothing fuels my senses more than weaving detail-driven beauty into everyday life.
Designer Alina de Albergaria's innate need to create flourished under the influence of her mother, who designed and sewed the family's summer dresses in the U.S. and winter wool coats in England. Beyond fashion, her mother also wrote poetry and prose, exposing Alina to both visual design and literary expression from an early age. These outlets became the foundation of her creative life—an obsession that deepened after her family's relocation to Venezuela. That first summer, she lived with her uncle, a tailor and fine artist, in whose atelier she spent countless hours making clothes for herself and her dolls from remnants of linen, silk, and cotton. That creative passion later led her to studies in architecture, figure drawing, painting, writing, and acting.
Following a seventeen-year career in Hollywood as a bilingual producer and entertainment journalist, de Albergaria relocated to Santa Barbara to start a family. A desire to own modern jewelry that paired well with her classic wedding rings and favorite designer pieces gave birth to Designs by Alina's first jewelry line in 2014. The designer aimed to create a collection that could stand the test of time. “Much of the prominent jewelry in my favorite boutiques,” says Alina, “appealed to my sense of style but lacked quality, especially in materials.”
Harbor Island, the source of inspiration for the first collection.
With her family in Santa Barbara. Photo by Trevor Tondro, courtesy of Santa Barbara Magazine.
De Albergaria continues to scour the market for the finest materials, designing her unique creations around them. Six years later, during the pandemic, with a desire to channel her creative energy into serving her community, she fabricated Belgian linen and Fortuny fabric masks, donating 100% of net proceeds to Direct Relief. Drawing on exquisite fabrics she had sourced through friends in the industry, she extended her lifelong passion for interiors into a new venture: the successful launch of Designs by Alina’s first gift and home collection in November 2021, later featured in Santa Barbara Magazine.
The collection is a fusion of artistry and design with a classic-meets-modern approach, each piece meticulously hand-crafted with the finest materials from around the globe. As a former journalist, writing is never far from Alina’s heart. Since 2014, through her blog, she has given readers an intimate look at lifestyle, travel, motherhood, home, and design.
Her website Penned by Alina—also a byproduct of the pandemic—is home to her poetry. Grateful for her mentors and the life she has carved, de Albergaria remains committed to giving back, partnering with charitable organizations across the country in support of education, health, the arts, and humanitarian relief.
DESIGNS BY ALINA
beauty and inspiration...forever entwined
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