commentary speaks highly for Kaldoun. “He’s a magician,” Scappucci tells her friend as the singer fawns over a highnecked red leather coat. Another woman comes in to Eternity wearing a big sunhat. She tries on and buys a pair of crisp blue-gray heals, but finds herself lingering on her way out to admire a reversible water proof mink coat. Inevitably, she tries it on and falls in love with it. These sorts of happenstances are all too common in Kaldoun’s store. He relates how a doctor visiting from San Diego came in. “I prescribed her an outfit, and told her if she didn’t get compliments I would refund her money. She got a compliment within 30 seconds. I was happy for her. She was a beautiful woman who needed to feel beautiful in a simple way.” From opening night at the opera to a sassy night on the town, Kaldoun outfits his clients to find their hidden potential. “People leave saying, ‘Wow, I feel amazing,’ and I say, ‘Duh!’” describes Kaldoun. “That’s the whole idea: to show a person a part of themselves they haven’t discovered.” BOTTOM RIGHT Kaldoun Sassila, owner
Dressed for Limitless Potential
Eternity by Kaldoun 125 W. San Francisco St. 505.989.3460 eternityprivate@aol.com
Photos Linda Carfagno
I
t was just another summer day when internationally acclaimed Italian conductor Speranza Scappucci walked into Kaldoun Sassila’s store, Eternity. As Scappucci was conducting Daughter of the Regiment for the 2015 opening night of the Santa Fe Opera, it behooved her to look her best. So she headed to Kaldoun’s Eternity. Specializing in European clothing, jewelry and décor, Eternity draws clientele like Scappucci because it is more than a retail shop; it is a place that unlocks a beautiful version of yourself you perhaps didn’t know existed. Since 1999, Kaldoun has offered private consultations to high- end customers looking for unrepeatable styles. He
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works closely with European designers to readjust styles and pick out colors to fit the needs of his clients. “Somehow the designers listen,” he laughs. Many of the shoes he carries are designed by the oldest shoemaking business in the world, who has been in business in Italy for 177 years. Kaldoun grew up in the clothing industry; his dad was in textiles, his greatgrandfather was a master weaver, and he is fifth generation in the textile and clothing business. “I love what I do. Who doesn’t love to dress a woman and make her feel good?” Kaldoun confesses. He also spent much of his life in Paris working closely with private design companies to create and enhance lines.
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“The world is a theater where we stage our lives. We play different roles throughout the day. What you wear and how you wear it reflects each role,” says Kaldoun. “Most people just cover up; they simply put on clothes. But your outfit reflects how people feel about you. If you’re walking down the street with the right jeans, the right shoes, the right shirt and the right handbag, it gives you more confidence. It’s energy; you have to feel it.” “Sometimes you have to dress your home as well as yourself. Your home reflects you and your energy, so it should make you feel good,” he notes. His store also carries French and Italian home décor. As Scappucci and a Berliner opera singer rustle through the rack of jackets, their
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Santa Fe
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