The work of the designer Sonia Petroff, muse in the Rome of the Dolce Vita, relives thanks to Maria Leoni-Sceti ♦ ︎
She was called Sonia Petroff. She was a creative woman with an adventurous life: born in Bulgaria, she moved with her family to Budapest in 1933, where she received an aristocratic education. But after the Second World War, the family took refuge in Switzerland and then in Romania and Argentina. In the South American country Sonia started to create her jewels. They were in the early fifties. In the years of the Dolce Vita, Sonia Petroff moved to Rome, where she worked as a designer for Nina Ricci, Balmain and Valentino. The designer died in 2015.
Now the bijoux of Sonia Petroff relive in London thanks to Maria Leoni-Sceti, who married the designer’s nephew.
The Sonia Petroff brand does not offer real jewels, but luxury bijoux, with gold plating and synthetic gems. The impact of the jewels, derived from the work of Sonia Petroff, is remarkable. The yellow gold color, together with the large gems used, suggest theatrical jewels, which can also be seen from a distance. They are big lobster-shaped brooches, showy earrings, even belts that make a jump in the fifties. Prices: the jewels are offered from 100 to 900 pounds on average. Cosimo Muzzano
