The Essentials With Ciao Lucia’s Lucy Akin: Vintage Dresses, L.A. Psychics and the Art of Packing Light

A vacation spent wandering the shops in Positano, sipping spritzes and taking advantage of every sunset photo opportunity isn’t complete without the perfect wardrobe. And when it comes to resort wear that’s as effortless as it is chic, few brands are doing it like Ciao Lucia. Founded and designed by California native, Lucy Akin, Ciao Lucia specializes in vintage-inspired dresses and sets in dreamy color palettes, which often include subtle details like scalloped hemlines and embroidered cutouts.

They’re also extremely easy to travel with, thanks to Akin’s focus on working with fuss-free fabrics like lightweight knits and silks that won’t take up much space in your carry-on and don’t require a steamer. The clothing may be ideal for European escapes, but Ciao Lucia’s start—much like its celebrity fans Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber—is very L.A.

After working for Jenni Kayne and then as a buyer for the Los Angeles boutique Satine, Akin ventured out on her own with Shop Super Street, a boutique that mixed luxury designers and streetwear labels. “I had started my store in 2014, and it was just very grueling having to constantly deal with inventory that’s changing really fast, employees and schedules,” Akin tells Observer. Feeling burnt out, Akin turned to her psychic (“because I’m in L.A., and of course I have a psychic”), who brought up the idea of designing. “He asked why I wasn’t designing, and I was like, ‘I’m just a buyer, I would never consider myself a designer,’” Akin recalls. “He’s a very bossy psychic, and he said, ‘You’re doing it all wrong, you need to be designing.’” A weekend sick at home watching Gwyneth Paltrow sport Donna Karan’s designs in Great Expectations proved to be just the inspiration Akin needed to sketch out her first ideas.

Akin asked one of her former co-workers at Jenni Kayne to help her make samples, put her new designs in Shop Super Street (without any labels), and quickly generate enough buzz to attract the attention of aVogue editor. “It was unexpected because these first samples were almost like a school project where the fit wasn’t perfect and the labels were missing,” she says. After dedicating a few months to building out and fine-tuning her first collection, Akin used her Amex points to fly herself, a model, and a photographer to Acapulco to shoot the first campaign for a profile with Vogue.

Eight years later, Akin still draws from her favorite films like Rosemary’s Baby, Pierrot le Fou and The Birds to create looks that let you channel “the girl who’s traveling and had four Aperol spritzes by noon.” The Los Angeles-based designer has also expanded her resort wear reach, teaming up with some of her favorite brands on summer-inspired accessories meant to complement her Ciao Lucia pieces. “We started working with K. Jacques two years ago on sandals, and we’ve just kept doing it because it’s been so fun,” Akin shares of the handmade flip-flop, wrap and gladiator sandals the family-owned brand makes in Saint-Tropez. 

For her latest venture, Akin stayed stateside, turning to Cristina Mantilla and Duda Teixeira, the Miami-based jewelry designers behind Éliou. It felt right; Akin had previously purchased pieces from the brand for Ciao Lucia photoshoots. “It’s a really fun jewelry collection inspired from travels to beachy places, souvenirs found in unexpected places and using new types of materials Éliou hadn’t used before,” Akin explains. The limited-edition collection, which launched in June, comprises three necklaces and one anklet adorned with colorful resin sea creatures and composed of materials like 18K gold-plated recycled brass and recycled African glass.

As summer travel picks up, Lucy Akin shares her current essentials with Observer—from the lunch spot she never skips in Rome to the staple pieces she’ll be wearing wherever the summer takes her.