Lucila Safdie – The Argentinian Designer Capturing Fashion's New Wave

 

"It has been very community-based from the beginning," says Safdie, whose brand extends beyond garments into shared cultural experiences—including an open-to-all film club that reflects her broader creative vision. "I did the shoots with all my friends. They have always helped me in different parts of the process. Now, when I see them wearing the clothes, it makes me so happy because they're the main source of inspiration. It's a full circle."

 

This collaborative ethos infuses every aspect of her work. From her Hackney Wick studio, Safdie produces collections that resonate with a distinctly nostalgic sensibility—one that feels immediately familiar to those who came of age during the Y2K era. Her jersey pieces appear repeatedly across seasons: micro-miniskirts, pedal-pusher trousers, and tops adorned with Peter Pan collars or cropped to reveal a sliver of midriff. Cursive slogans and floral motifs add texture, while her inspirations have ranged from iconic Hollywood blondes to the Russian Romanov sisters. The result is an aesthetic that reads as hyper-cute yet carries an undertone of wistfulness—a tension that gives the work its depth.

 

Safdie credits her Argentine childhood as a formative influence on her design perspective. "Growing up, I consumed pop culture from a voyeuristic point of view," she explains. "I wasn't seeing it on the street, so I had to be online to find it. It's this way of taking in fashion, movies and music through that perspective that has influenced me."

 

That sense of observing from a distance—of engaging with global culture through a screen—has shaped a worldview that feels distinctly contemporary, even as it draws on the past.

 

If one item defines the Lucila Safdie label, it is the satin hairband—available for £30 in polka-dot, chintz, and lipstick-print iterations—which has become a recognizable accessory among London's fashion-savvy circles. With stockists across the United States, South Korea, and Japan, in addition to her UK web store, Safdie is keen to expand this entry-level offering thoughtfully.

 

"I'm really working on this right now, but I don't want it to feel like merchandise or a watered-down version. These items need to have the same care and effort as the other pieces. I love the idea that if you feel like you're a Lucila girl, you can be. You don't need to buy the dupe."

 

It would be easy to categorize Safdie's work as simply girlish—but that would overlook its complexity. "It's melancholic and fun," she says. "A contradiction and layered. It's feminine and definitely narrative-based."

 

Her current collection explores debutante culture, approached through her signature outside-looking-in lens. "These are the debutante girls who want to run away from the ball!" she offers—a character study that captures rebellion within tradition, innocence edged with restlessness. It is this ability to weave story into silhouette that distinguishes Safdie's work, marking her as a designer to watch as she continues to dress the new cohort of cool.