Our story
OUR LEGACY & REBIRTH
Sonia Petroff was a highly respected accessories designer in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. A Bulgarian aristocrat who fled the country during WWII, Sonia eventually settled in Rome where she designed for Valentino, Balmain and Nina Ricci, among others, as well as for her own private clients. Taking inspiration from nature and the Mediterranean, mythological symbolism and art history, Sonia produced her jewellery and accessory designs through local Roman artisans and sent pieces to the jet-set and beau monde from Buenos Aires to London. Her bold, joyful designs echoed her own approach to vivacious and adventurous living.
In 2017, Sonia’s archive of designs passed to her niece by marriage, Maria Leoni-Sceti. Maria spent over a year sifting through Sonia’s prototypes and sketches, photographing and cataloguing the archive. Taking inspiration from this treasure trove, Maria went on a search for new Italian artisans who could recreate the vintage beauty of the archival pieces, finding a handful of small artisan studios in Italy who produce the brand’s pieces today. Maria relaunched the brand Sonia Petroff in 2018 and continues to drive and curate the bold and aesthetic vision of the brand.
OUR VISION
OUR PRODUCT ARCHIVE
The archives of Sonia Petroff contain over 800 physical vintage pieces, reams of polaroids and photos of products taken by Sonia of her designs, and hand sketches of products. Each season Founder and Creative Director Maria Leoni-Sceti dives into the archives to seek inspiration and select pieces as the basis of her designs. The design process for each pieces varies - some designs are almost exact replicas of vintage pieces whilst other designs take inspiration from a vintage motif or element and are evolved into a new direction. This interplay between the vintage archive and today's vision is at the core of the Sonia Petroff brand, blending heritage with modern life to yield a touch of the unexpected.
THE JOURNEY: ARCHIVE TO ATELIER
Heritage Craftsmanship
Every belt and piece of jewellery is handcrafted by master craftspeople in small family-run Italian artisan studios located in Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Venezia. Our artisanal craftsmanship employs traditional techniques and handmade production that maintain the authentic vintage beauty of Sonia's original couture designs.
Limited Production
Sonia Petroff's pieces are produced in limited production runs. Our artisans typically produce 30 or fewer pieces of a single style in each production run to avoid wastage and maintain exclusivity. The handmade nature of the pieces creates a truly unique piece.
A FOREVER STORY
Our timeless, iconic pieces are inspired by designs from decades ago and are intended to be passed on to the next generation. Never out of style and forever versatile, Sonia Petroff are pieces to be treasured.
HANDCRAFTED HARITAGE
HANDMADE IN ITALY
Our Italian artisan partners work hand-in-hand with us to design and produce exquisite pieces, employing technology and 3D mapping to understand the composition of the archival designs, and then hand-pouring, polishing, overlaying and decorating the metalwork for all Sonia Petroff pieces. Our suppliers handmix enamels and resins and source the finest Swarovski crystals. All leather belts are mounted on genuine Italian leather sourced from Italian suppliers who participate in the Leather Working Group, an organisation that works to reduce the environmental impact of leather production.
MARIA LEONI-SCETI
“I truly believe education is the movement from darkness to light”
Sonia Petroff supports the charity Room to Read, of which Maria is an active board member. A charity which instils young women with confidence and opens opportunities via education is a cause that Sonia herself would be proud to be involved in.
POSITIVE LUXURY: THE BUTTERFLY MARK
