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Ala von Auersperg brings elegantly casual clothing to Rehoboth

Versatile designs by Austrian-American princess benefit victims of violence
June 5, 2019

Lounging on a white wooden bench on Rehoboth’s Boardwalk, Ala Isham is dressed in a white belted blouse, navy patterned pants and flat sandals that epitomize the elegantly casual style of her namesake clothing line.

Born Princess Annie-Laurie “Ala” von Auersperg to American socialite Martha “Sunny” Crawford and Austrian Prince Alfred von Auersperg, Isham worked for years with longtime personal designer Antonio Gaul to create clothing to suit her style and need.

“Luxury to me is flexibility,” she said. “I need to be able to pack in hours. I want clothing that feels good and is uncomplicated, comfortable and festive.”

Isham said she started painting about nine years ago. “I had four kids, and they were all grown up, so I was looking for something to do,” she said.

“A few years later,” she said, “I had drawings up in my apartment in New York City, and Antonio suggested we print one of my pictures on a dress. I needed clothes to wear in Antigua that didn’t stick to the skin.”

After hearing compliments from friends who also wanted to wear the nature-inspired pieces, she launched the brand Ala von Auersperg with Gaul and COO Larry Black in 2015. Since then, daughter Sunny Kneissl joined as a stylist.

“She gives us a younger perspective,” Isham said. “I know I can’t do it all myself, and I like working with creative people.”

Isham paints with tempera, acrylics and watercolors; she also uses pencil. Her travels are reflected in her artwork of tropical or floral prints.

“I pick things I want to draw or paint, someone digitizes them, and we add elements to fabrics,” she said.

Isham designs her clothing to be slimming and versatile, silhouettes suitable for lounging by the pool, at garden parties or weddings, and made specifically to flatter women over 45. Most clothing fits any size.

“You don’t have to lie down and die after you turn 45,” she said. “I use light and airy fabrics that are soft on the skin and feel nice. The way fabric moves and flows when you walk is important to me.”

Isham designs her ponchos, kaftans, pants, tank tops, blouses and dresses to wear alone or in layers. She uses small and large prints, after finding that petite women prefer smaller prints.

“You can wear them loose or with a belt, off-shoulder, whatever makes you feel comfortable,” she said. “I do the artwork, but you make it work for you. A duster can go over printed pieces, jeans and a T-shirt or bathing suit. It’s feminine without all the ruffles.”

Isham traveled to Rehoboth May 21-23 to host a trunk show at Stuart Kingston.

“I went to school in Maryland and had many friends who vacationed in Rehoboth Beach, but I never had,” she said. “Now I see what I was missing out on!”

Isham’s clothing line also helps her fulfill a personal cause. After her parents divorced, her mother, Sunny, married Claus von Bülow. In 1980, Sunny went into a coma, in which she remained until her death in 2008. Von Bülow was convicted of attempting to murder her by an insulin overdose, but his conviction was overturned, and a second trial found him not guilty. The story was dramatized in the book and movie “Reversal of Fortune.”

Isham donates a portion of proceeds to help women who have experienced violence. She co-founded The National Center for Victims of Crime in 1985 and the Brain Trauma Foundation (originally the Sunny Von Bülow Coma and Head Trauma Research Institute) in 1986 to support research on traumatic brain injuries.

Go to alavonauersperg.com.

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