The Majestic First Lady of Rome: La Lupa the She-Wolf
When we were thinking about our brand, we wanted to tell a story that would bring together the power of women with the elegance and style of Italy, whilst still embodying our brand values of being bold, radical, resilient, collaborative and always act with integrity.
There was only one choice: La Lupa.
Atop a column overlooking the Roman Forum, stands the strong powerful She Wolf (known as La Lupa in Italian). In ancient Roman mythology, it was La Lupa who found Romulus and Remus, after they were callously thrown into the Tiber by order of their great uncle, Amulius, who sought to rule Rome and viewed the twins as a threat to his elevation. The twins found safety on the banks of the Tiber and were found by La Lupa, who nurtured and cared for them in their infancy.
Although Romulus and Remus went on to have a troubled relationship (with Romulus eventually murdering his brother), Romulus went on to become Rome’s first ruler, with the city that we now know as “Rome” being named after him. It was La Lupa’s powerful, life-giving force that enabled the founding of Rome as we know it today.
You can still find La Lupa watching over ancient Rome today, next to Palazzo Senatorio in Piazza del Campidoglio on top of Capitoline Hill. The statute that overlooks the Forum is a copy of the original that dates back to the 11th Century and which can found in the Capitoline Museums in Rome.
If you look closely, you can find She-Wolves dotted all around Rome and even other parts of Italy.
La Lupa represents a strong and powerful feminine connection to the founding of ancient Rome, but is also a strong reminder of the inextricable connection that what makes us as women feminine, also makes us powerful.
At Sophia Andrea, we believe that this powerful femininity should be harnessed and amplified. Using fashion and what we choose to wear each day, as way to achieve impact and make a difference in our lives, and the lives of others, is only one way that Sophia Andrea is creating the new fashion revolution.
