Style
Eloquent Evenings In the spirit of enhancing a woman’s unique inner beauty, Daniela Karnuts, founder of Safiyaa, creates expressive, timeless designs that capture the purity of modern couture. Words by Kirsty Edwards-Harris
D “Create your reality as beautiful as you dare. Make a leap of faith, you can’t win if you don’t try.”
Available at Saks Fifth Avenue 26
OHLALA!
aniela’s journey into fashion began when she found herself stranded in India after the volcano erupted in Iceland in 2010. She immersed herself in the culture becoming inspired by the colourful explosion of silk markets, and embarked on designing her own dresses. With a philosophy based on expressive, noble fabrics, shapely cuts and sophisticated finishings that make clients feel welldressed, elegant and special, Safiyaa is designed for the strong, confident woman who feels comfortable in her skin; “she’s not a trend follower but more of a classic, elegant woman.” Daniela approaches the looks with flexibility, flowing with her ideas and mood – it’s the fabrics that take centre-stage, inspiring the direction of her collections. Featuring opulent materials with intricate detailing all her base fabrics are figure hugging with both matt and shine finishes. Imagine the luxurious look and feel of satin and viscous stretch crepes, exquisite laces from France and Italy, as well as organzas and silks. The pre-collection for Autumn-Winter 14-15 is very much inspired by laser-cut optics, with intricate metal coated lace and strong prints being key features. Reminiscient of the 1940s and 50s flower stories, the prints have been given a contemporary feel as a pattern on lace. Heart-shaped necklines and soft, fluid lines are accentuated with patent details in a wide variety of shades. Yellow features strongly along with pine grove, charcoal, red and lots of dark blue and azure. Believing that it’s a woman that carries the dress and not the dress that wears the woman, Daniela admires Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet for their “unique style and strong presence.” She has a love affair with the fashion of the 1940s – Balenciaga, Givenchy, Dior and Charles James – collections inspired by classic old couture shapes. In the present day, Daniela looks to Valentino as “a strong brand with luxurious craftsmanship.” And what of Daniela’s advice for aspiring fashion designers? “Give it a go – listen to your customer and learn how things are made to be able to offer a high quality product. It’s important to work closely with your own atelier and be very hands on.” www.ohlala-magazine.com