STORIES / RA AT HOME

Raquel Allegra never thought she’d buy Many Feathers Ranch, a sprawling 8,000 square foot abode nestled in a canyon at the base of Taos Ski Valley. In fact, the designer had set off to Taos with a very different property in mind—one similar to her cozy cabin in Topanga, California. But New Mexico is called the “Land of Enchantment,” after all, and that’s exactly what Allegra was. She was enchanted by the river that flowed through the property’s north edge, bordered with boulders smooth enough for sunbathing; by the pond, surrounded with swallows; by the stately willow trees. She was enchanted by the view from the porch, with its open fields, forests, and sunsets.So she bought it. And then the work began.

“There are so many big windows, the natural light shape-shifts each room throughout the day."

The fashion designer likens Many Feathers to her own personal wellness retreat: “I can spend hours just sitting and watching the light play and shimmer on the leaves of the Aspens in the front yard, or lay on the giant sun-warmed bathing rocks at the river’s edge,” she says of the property’s five acres. (Although it feels a lot larger than that: blissfully, the parcel next to her is protected land where no building can be erected.) Right now, Allegra is exploring starting her own flower farm and raising trout

“My dream for this property is that it helps to soften the edges of its visitors and be a reminder to those who have been living in cities, feeling worn down by traffic on freeways and subways, that Mother Nature is here to bring on the healing.”

A process that speaks to the core of the RA brand; Raquel began her company by tie-dyeing and deconstructing recycled vintage tee shirts, infusing them with new life by reimagining each piece