At the brand’s new CJ Shops boutique, Iran Costa brings his Sunny Couture concept to life in a space that blends fashion, art and references to nature.
By Letícia Lima Laurino
For Iran Costa, resortwear doesn’t have to be reserved for days at the beach. At LA GEA, that idea takes shape in bikinis that can be paired with a silk shirt for a party, pieces designed for different moments throughout the day and an approach to dressing that extends beyond the coastline.
Opened on October 25, the brand’s third São Paulo boutique, located at CJ Shops, was designed to bring the Sunny Couture concept into its architecture. The space combines Italian influences with elements inspired by Brazil’s natural landscape.
At the entrance, a portal clad in beige stone welcomes visitors. Just beyond it, a mosaic floor features a sun-inspired design. Wood, metal accents, woven straw and subtly antiqued mirrors complete the interior.
One of the boutique’s focal points is a representation of Gea, the goddess who gives the brand its name. Carved from natural stone by artisans in São João del-Rei, the sculpture incorporates a water fountain and serves as a centerpiece of the space.
The intention, however, goes beyond translating the brand’s visual identity into a physical setting. Costa wants the boutique to feel welcoming. “I want people to feel that warmth, that sense of being in a cozy corner of their own home,” he told Lifestyle Mag. For him, that experience depends as much on the design elements as it does on the sales team, who should understand LA GEA’s identity and the stories behind its pieces. The goal is for every customer to feel part of that world.
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Costa’s path into fashion, however, was far from conventional. Originally from a small town in the Brazilian state of Sergipe, he recalls growing up in a community of around 40,000 people, where pursuing a career in fashion didn’t seem like a realistic possibility given his family background. He worked in banking for several years, including in Italy, but continued to follow the fashion industry and runway shows.
The turning point came from a suggestion by his mother: bring bikinis to Italy to sell. Costa admits he wasn’t particularly convinced at first. Still, he packed a suitcase with pieces and left them with a friend at a gym. Within a week, everything had sold. More shipments followed, along with an Instagram account and pieces sent to influencers. The growing interest caught the attention of a major brand, which discovered him through social media and invited him to participate in a project called Made in Brazil.
That opportunity marked his professional entry into luxury fashion. A Florence-based fashion house invited him to take part in a beachwear and resortwear project and, despite his lack of formal training in the field, welcomed him into its atelier to learn the creative process firsthand. His experience in Italy also gave him insight into the commercial and strategic sides of the business.
Today, that combination of influences shapes the way he approaches LA GEA’s collections. “I always say our bikinis aren’t just for the beach,” he explains. The phrase captures an approach in which swimwear can move into different settings and resortwear doesn’t necessarily require a seaside destination. For Costa, versatility is essential to fashion: a piece should work across different occasions rather than being limited to a single setting.
At the new boutique, this lifestyle concept extends beyond the clothing. The architecture, the presence of art and the attention given to the customer experience expand on Sunny Couture, which the brand describes as a meeting point between the precision of Italian design and Brazilian influences. More than a new retail location, the CJ Shops boutique offers visitors a closer look at the world Costa has been building, both on and off the beach.
Image credit: Courtesy of LA GEA