Safiyaa ®
Emerging British label Safiyaa, though only 6 seasons old, has already caught the eyes of the fashion industry and in such a short time has managed to build an impressive distribution network that includes such retailers as Barneys New York, Harvey Nichols Riyadh and Saks Bahrain. Further support from some major A-listers came in spring 2014, when Jennifer Lopez wore a cap-sleeved dress with gazaar inserts onstage on American Idol, and Kate Winslet donned the Petunia Long Dress for the LA premiere of her film “Divergent”.
The label’s meteoric rise is all the more impressive given that the brand’s founder, Daniela Karnuts, a former commercial director of “Fashion Rocks”, never planned on becoming a fashion designer. One could describe it as a twist of fate. During a trip to India in 2010, she found herself stranded by the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption and had a local tailor run up a few dresses to tide her over. Upon her return home to London, she fielded so many enquiries about the designs she decided to create a capsule collection.
Despite her lack of formal training, Karnuts was inspired by her mother’s and grandmother’s innate sense of style. “They taught me that fashion is just as much about how you carry yourself as what you’re actually wearing,” she explains. “I always choose one great piece over several fast fashion items.”