Wednesday 6 April 2011

Spotlight on: A England - An Interview with creator Adina Bodana

January 2011 marked the release of a very glamorous new nail polish Brand: A England, the brainchild of creator Adina Bodana. Born in Milan Italy, Adina moved to the UK in 1989, with a background strongly rooted in fashion and a passion for nail polish since her childhood she decided to take the step into nail polish creation.

A England's first range of 15 polishes; The Mythicals, takes the polish lover on a journey through great Arthurian Legend. Packed with a vast range of romantic opulent shades, each polish has its own tale to tell, and if you want to find out more about the legend, there's even a glossary detailing the roots of the legendary names here. From deep dramatic holographic shades to soft sheer pearls, there is definitely a polish to suit every taste, Adina's close connection to Arthurian legend is what inspired her to create this collection, and I was lucky enough to talk to her about her "new baby" A-England:


Adina Bodana

What Inspired you to create Nail Polish?
Long life passion. The immediate gratification. The therapy it represents. The joy of wearing it as part of yourself and being able to watch it all the time.
Was it a hard industry to break into?
I specify i don't have any sponsor or backing and even connection. I was surprised by "the magic" of a press release sent to a few bloggers just the 8th of this January and the excitement it caused. I have been shipping orders to US, Australia, Canada, Europe, UK, even Brazil...
Now my aim is to expand and offer my brand through other store: online or not in order to have a good distribution and be able to come out with new shades.
Do you come up with all the great colours yourself? Are you involved in the creation process?
Yes, sending to the manufacturer Pantone codes, ideas of finish, swatches of colours from various sources. I have to say they followed me brilliantly. The quality is very very important for me.
I absolutely love the names of your polishes, What Inspired you to chose Arthurian Legend as the theme for the Mythicals?

England is the source of inspiration. The Arthurian Legend is the first beautiful story I came across as a child through illustrated books, and cinema. Growing up I have always been impressed by the revelation of universal elements and values in it and how we can reflect ourselves, at times, in one or the other characters and stories. I always like to offer "a bit more" in whatever I do and thought this beautiful saga would complement my collection with a lovely message. On top I love english literature and arts. Malory wrote extensively about the Arthurian Legend. The painter Burne-Jones is one of my favourite of all times and his rendition of the Myth is awesome. I watched in awe and dreamt , almost felt embraced in front of The_Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon when on display at Tate Britain.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Sleep_of_Arthur_in_Avalon
Do you plan on releasing any other themed collections of nail polish with A-England?
Yes. I like nail polish and stories...
If more collections are planned, what types of finish are you hoping to feature more of? (e.g. holographic, duochrome, glitters etc) 
More holos yes, but mostly will endeavour to create appealing and fascinating shades.
What's your favourite colour combination to wear from the Mythicals?
They go with mood, inspiration, whim...
What I use myself mostly: King Arthur, Merlin, Camelot.
Are you still involved in Fashion?
No. My experience in fashion is like a perfect circle and cycle completed and closed. Still well informed though and enjoying window shopping and glossy magazines.
Do you have a favourite nail polish colour of all time?
Glossy BLACK


A England Mythicals Swatches:
here are a few of my favourites from The Mythicals Collection:
                            Tristam                                          Lady of The Lake
                       Morgan Le Fay                                            Merlin
                               Iseult                                           Tristam and Iseult
 Please click the A-England label on the left menu to see all posts featuring the brand.

Bottle Pics:

Chemicals: A England polishes are all big 3 free and not tested on animals
Other Products: A England's Mythicals collection also includes a base coat called The Knight and a top coat called The Shield, loving these names :)
Bottle Size: 13ml
Price: £9.50
Coverage: Usually opaque in 2/3 coats
A England Links:
Official Website
A-England's Facebook page (be sure to check out their current 20% off promotion which runs till April 16th)

1 comment:

  1. Very interesting! I have Tristam and Lady of the Lake on their way to me and can't wait! And I'm always keen on more holos so I hope more are available soon!

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