Press

Lara Vale was 16 and Lili Auriemo was 15 when they decided to create something entirely their own. The starting point was a gap they both felt in the national market: statement pieces, items that speak for themselves, were much easier to find abroad. Thus, the brand emerged in 2022 to fill this space.
The name carries the concept. Alchemy is the transformation of elements into something new, which can be read as the fusion of two personalities. "It's a name that addresses creation, art, and elements; it summarizes everything we believe in," Lili tells ForbesLife Fashion.
Art, by the way, is not just a reference; it's a method. Lara is the daughter of gallerist Renata Studart Vale, founder of Claraboia gallery, and grew up in this environment. The launch of the first collection took place inside the gallery, with racks positioned among the artworks, coexisting with the curation as if they were part of it. "The idea was for the consumer to have the opportunity to experience art beyond just consuming fashion," explains Lara. This logic continued in subsequent collections: launches took place at specific events with limited stock, selling 90% of the collection in just two days.
With five years of trajectory and seven drops completed, the logic of scarcity remains by choice. "We don't want the customer to go out on the street and see several other people wearing the same thing," says Lili. The launches don't have a fixed calendar: they only happen when the story is ready and the concept is fully realized.
Silk and knitwear have become reference materials, but what defines Alchemya goes beyond the base fabric – an embroidery, a cut, a detail of exposed skin, "always something special," as Lili puts it. In the beginning, the silhouette was more fluid and undefined. Now, the duo plays with structure without sacrificing lightness, also investing in their own prints. According to them, each item works alone in a neutral wardrobe, but an entire Alchemya closet also makes perfect sense.
Currently, Lili is studying business administration in São Paulo, after a stint at Istituto Marangoni in London, and Lara is studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. The brand grew with them. They even follow trend forecasting platforms, but the ultimate goal is always the surroundings: what people around them miss or don't expect to find.
The closest style references also come from home. Lili's mother, Mariana, brings a way of dressing and behaving that she defines as "unique," while the contemporary art that surrounded Lara continues to be raw material.
The business's evolution accompanies this maturation. In the beginning, it was just the two of them dealing with bureaucracy, spreadsheets, and suppliers. "We went without anyone's help," Lili recalls.
Gradually, they discovered who produced the best silk, who mastered knitwear, and how to operate with small quantities in a market accustomed to large volumes.
Today, Alchemya has a formed team, presence at CJ Mares, in Shopping Cidade Jardim, and on e-commerce. The brand is preparing for a new phase: more frequent launches, with even smaller runs per drop and more presence in customers' daily lives. The next step is an experiment with jeans – an unprecedented material in the portfolio.