Some people are born with just the most beautiful presence. Regardless of the struggles they may encounter through life, they contain a strength and inner wisdom that allows them to seize the good, and embrace life more powerfully than before. This was the life of Ramona Larue as learned and lived by her daughter Arianne. Ramona, originally a native Texan, and her children, Arianne and Michael, went along together on all the journeys they would encounter and more. She taught them about art and creativity, her love of silk painting and mostly, about living true to themselves. She felt that being an individual, a unique spirit, was always on top of the list when it came to fulfilling ones gifts upon this earth. So proud she must be of Arianne, her only daughter, as she fits “one-of-a-kind” to a tee. Possibly, the uniqueness she possesses lies within her French and American Indian background, forming her laid back, unending coolness that flows from her inner self like water. She would watch her artist mother sell original pieces for next to nothing, just to make ends meet. Even still, she learned her mother’s craft solely through her keen awareness and observation. Her physical beauty led her on a successful and well-respected modeling career. She traveled the world, jumping between New York, Milan, Miami and Seville, while mastering her trade and earning a much loved reputation within the industry. During this time, she spent ten years living in Seville, Spain. There she became fluent in Spanish and was exposed to the natural beauty of the hacienda where she lived.
Arianne is a native Floridian, born and raised in the artsy Coconut Grove area, during the notorious hippie days. Her line reflects not only her love of her mother Ramona, but her passion for nature and animals as well. She is a free-spirit who creates timeless wearable pieces by applying the same artistic techniques her mother used in her work. All that she learned from her mother’s love of silk, her artistic nature and vision of color, shines fiercely through each individual piece. She takes great pride representing her roots and in showing how something so devastating in life can be turned into a true gift of passion with which to create beauty. Seeing the beauty in life is what Arianne does best, and it shows as she hand paints and shapes each of her unique designs, literally making them wearable art. Her very first piece, “Horse”, represents Arianne’s love of animals and shows her passion for all life. This design remains one of her best sellers to this day.
A year after losing her best friend and mother to cancer, Arianne finally found the strength to open up the only thing left of her. At first, this old beaten chest appeared to be solely pain and torment, but on this day, she saw a treasure. Inside, she found painted silks, along with her paints and brushes and work after work filling the rise. Though Arianne had clearly been born a creative spirit with authentic means about her, this was the first moment she truly felt the need to complete herself through art. With her mother’s paints in hand, she began creating from her heart. Even though painting was new to her, she had mastered other trades before, such as designing one-of-a-kind backgammon tables, and other pieces, which she had sold professionally for some time. She knew this flow – this sense of peace – that she felt as she painted, came from her mother, which made giving into the release of it quite comforting. What became of it is a clothing line named after and dedicated to the memory of a mother and daughter bond that all women strive and long for. Sometimes in life, through loss, a true gain is born. In this case, she has it in spades.
Each design is rooted through this joined love of mother, daughter, and nature, which is then brought to life through Arianne’s natural gift of artistry and creation. Since she had never painted, or even sewn a piece before suffering her loss, it makes her talent all the sweeter to enjoy. The finest silk and craftsmanship is used in construction, while incorporating a cut which allows all body types to rock it to the fullest. Her innate gift for color shines brightly through each piece, giving us a strong look at what a true palette of unbridled talent she has to offer. Once the artwork is created, Arianne hand paints the design using water-color on silk, forming a yin and yang bond that clearly dances when worn. This sexy, girly-girl, Bohemian line, brings out a sense of confidence and coolness that anybody would love to front, day into evening. Arianne’s brilliance in design lies in her inner knowledge of the female body, and shows genius in how to keep it simple, yet sexy. This line was created for real woman who choose to celebrate life in color, and dedicated with love to all the great women of the world who dare to wear it.
Ra Mona La Rue is on the fast track to stardom, and is highly sought after by many fans of her wear. High-end department stores and well know specialty stores, such as Bendel’s, Nordstrom’s, Harvey Nichole’s, Fred Siegle’s, Planet Blue, Kitson and Atrium, to name a few, have sold out her pieces time and time again, quickly placing her in high demand. Arianne currently shows her line based out of her Design District studio in Miami, as well as her show room in Los Angeles. Ra Mona La Rue continues to grow, filling orders worldwide, and can be reached by visiting the company site at www.ramonalarue.com.