Walk into an American in Paris on King Street in Alexandria and Alexandra Alvarez de Toledo’s love of fashion is obvious.
“It’s my mom’s shop, or was my mom’s shop, and now, I decided to keep it and continue with her legacy because she really loved it so much. She was there for 25 years, and she loved the store so much,” the designer, stylist, and wardrobe consultant says of her mother, Joelle Solimano, who was known for the designer clothing she sold. Solimano died in 2021.
Alvarez de Toledo, who helped her mom open the boutique in 1996, has reimagined the store and rebranded it. It is filled with racks of silk blouses, leisure sets that are wrinkle-proof, and cute summer dresses.
Alvarez de Toledo travels the world looking for fashion for her shop.
“I was a costume designer. I’ve been designing some little capsule collections. I’ve been trying to get emerging designers that do really small collections. They don’t mass produce, and they don’t mass distribute anywhere,” she says.
“I’ve been finding smaller, interesting designers that are more artisanal with fabrics that are more unique. I’ve just been focusing on bringing things that you can’t find anywhere.”
“I really feel that you should dress how you want to feel,” says Alvarez de Toledo.
“They say that your outfit has the most power the first time you wear it, and I feel like it’s true because you know, when you debut something and you’re like, ‘I’m going to wear this tonight’ and it really feels like something special and it shapes how you feel about yourself,” she says.
American In Paris hosted an official “re-opening” event on Thursday night to show off many of Alvarez de Toledo’s favorite brands from South America and to introduce a quarterly Bespoke services program for clients. Clutches the store sells are designed by her and fabricated by MOLA Accessorio, a Buenos Aires brand.
Among the items she’s now featuring at American in Paris are a capsule collection by Sue Henry of Tulusa in Del Ray and one-of-a-kind jewelry by Ana Tkabladze of Manassas that uses cloisonné, an enameling technique.
The shop on King Street is open seven days a week. 1225 King St., Alexandria
Feature image of Alvarez de Toledo, left, and Ana Tkabladze, right, by Colleen Kelleher
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