India Lucila
Safdie

Nestled in the heart of Argentina’s capital city, Buenos Aires, is the home of 24 year old Central Saint Martin’s Womenswear designer, India Safdie. With her friends in mind, Safdie has designed a collection that merges glamour and comfort to juxtapose a practical but sexy outcome.

Reflecting on her hometown, Safdie looked to the 1970s, when the ‘dirty war’ of 1976 saw the Argentinian military overthrow the government. Her inspiration for the collection contrasts this moment with the peak of the ultra-feminine on screen telenovelas and the costumes of theatre showgirls. ‘It is an ironic take on the heteronormativity and opposite notions that connect masculinity with rigidity and uniforms and femininity with sexiness, softness and ornamentation,’ said Safdie. To perfect her tailoring for the collection, Safdie focused on deconstructing military suits and analysing how they were made. She studied videos to learn how showgirls would embellish their costumes to merge these techniques within her own collection. Photographs captured by Luisa Escarria, in the 1970s that truly evoked the enchantment of the time now bring this collection to life using prints and etched images on aluminium for a textured collection that brings pockets of surprises.

Hannah Karpel, BA Fashion Journalism
@hannah.karpel