Lena Dunham Instagram – The first time I met my friend Federica “Kikka” Cavenati, it took me about 10 minutes to realise how beautiful she was. And that’s really saying something, because Kikka was nothing if not beautiful – shiny copper hair, massive Bambi eyes, the kind of pillowy lips that women pay a lot for, and perfect teeth with just enough character to be disarming.
And her beauty, so easy to wax on about, paled in comparison to how beautiful she made other women feel…Kikka lived to help other women recognise their beauty, and that quality was inherent to her own.
After a short and sudden illness – Kikka was a vibrant and present person who showed up to life with Olympic vigour, and she will not be remembered as sick – we lost Kikka at age 28.
Kikka was, by trade, a fashion designer. Along with her partner in work and love, Marco Capaldo, Kikka founded @16arlington, a label that has single-handedly redefined the spirit of London fashion and given style back its folly and joy.
I was one of the lucky ones – along with women from Lizzo to Amal Clooney – who got to be a 16Arlington girl. Finding Kikka and Marco felt like coming home to familiars.
Kikka loved to celebrate, but she couldn’t be at my wedding. She was at that point not feeling her best, and for Kikka, being seen without that trademark sparkle just wasn’t an option – not because she was vain (she was the farthest thing from it), but because she loved joy and she always wanted to embody the values she held so dear. And so I couldn’t celebrate with her, the best celebrant of all, but she sent herself in the form of Marco, and in the form of some delicate satin pyjamas with that trademark pointed collar and feathery cuffs. Since then I’ve worn them almost non-stop, and everywhere I go I seem to be dropping feathers, little white curls on the stairs or in an office chair. Each one feels like Kikka reminding me to have fun, relax and embrace the madness of style. But then again, I don’t really need reminding, because – as with everyone who knew Kikka – she impressed it upon me the day we met. No one who crossed her path will ever be the same, and neither will fashion. | Posted on 05/Nov/2021 22:36:04



