Rising Designer Lucila Safdie on How Film Inspires Her Fashion Brand
Plus, her top recommendations for films that every girl online should watch.
Fashion and film have long gone hand in hand, and some of the world’s biggest designers are continually inspired by what they see on screen. Take LOEWE’s Howl’s Moving Castle collection as an example, or that Louis Gabriel Nouchi show, inspired by American Psycho. Lucila Safdie is a designer who is so deeply inspired by the world of film, that she’s even started her own film club as a way to connect with her community and share her love of cinema.
The designer’s eponymous brand was founded back in 2022 after Safdie quit her first fashion job and has since become a cult-loved label amidst celebrities like Devon Lee Carlson and Emily Ratajkowski, plus K-pop groups like NEWJEANS and BLACKPINK. Renowned for her visual commentary on modern-day girlhood, Safdie takes inspiration from the content she consumes, often drawn to the stories of powerful women.
“Just before I started on the development of the SS25 collection, “Farewell Princess,” I was obsessed with this podcast, Dead Blondes, which was all about the tragic lives of the women from Hollywood’s Golden Era, like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly. That led to me imagining this character of a girl, trapped in her parents’ house, obsessing over these untouchable movie stars, wishing so hard for this perfect life that doesn’t exist, and I ended up basing the entire collection around this,” she tells Hypebae.
Ahead of the next installment of Lucila’s Film Club, we caught up with Safdie to find out more about her inspiration, creative process and most importantly — her go-to films for girls online.
Read on for the full interview.
Tell us a bit about how the brand came about, and what sparked its creation.
The brand began after I decided to quit my first job in the fashion industry after studying at Central Saint Martins. I knew I wanted to do my own thing and was trying to figure out how and by working with friends, we made it happen. It wasn’t supposed to be something super serious but I’m really happy it ended up going that way. What sparked its creation was wanting to make clothes I loved, without the restrictions of having tutors telling me what I should be doing.
Since it started, the brand’s been worn by an impressive list of celebrity fans like BLACKPINK’s Rose and Emily Ratajkowski — how has that felt?
I’m so happy all these girls like the brand and somehow identify with it, but honestly, the thing that matters most to me is the idea that other girls like something that I also like and then want to wear it. Seeing the posts that girls who’ve bought from the brand tag me in, or meeting cool people who’ve followed me and come to one of the pop-ups, gives me the same level of excitement as seeing my clothes on celebrities.
Who, in your opinion, is the ultimate Lucila Safdie girl?
My best friends and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.
Where does your inspiration come from? Can you tell us a bit about your creative process?
Film, literature and buying clothes on eBay are my main sources of inspiration. I’d say I’m influenced by whatever the subject, topic or mood is that I’m into at the time of developing the collection. There’s only been four collections so far but I guess my creative process is just making what I like, what I want to wear and recreating whatever story is in my mind at that time.
Just before I started on the development of the SS25 collection, “Farewell Princess,” I was obsessed with this podcast, Dead Blondes, which was all about the tragic lives of the women from Hollywood’s Golden Era, like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly. That led to me imagining this character of a girl, trapped in her parents’ house, obsessing over these untouchable movie stars, wishing so hard for this perfect life that doesn’t exist, and I ended up basing the entire collection around this.
Aside from fashion, film is a big part of your life. What can you tell us about Lucila’s Film Club?
In terms of Lucila’s Film Club, I always wanted to have one. I go several times a week to the cinema with my best friend June and we decided to run it together. I love movies so much and since they are such an important part of what I do, I thought it would be nice to share with the people who love the brand, the films I love and some of the female directors who have inspired me.
The next club is taking place on the 5 December at Genesis Cinema in East London and we’re screening Wanda, this amazing movie from 1970 written and directed by the lead actress, Barbara Loden, about a bored housewife in the suburbs who ends up running away with a bank robber.
What are some underrated films that every girl online should watch?
The Holy Girl by Lucrecia Martel, which was also the first movie I screened at the film club, Letters Home by Chantal Akerman, Morvern Callar by Lynne Ramsay and Sweetie by Jane Campion.
Finally, as we approach the end of 2024, what are some of your plans and goals for 2025?
I’m working on the FW25 collection right now, which I hope is going to be super beautiful. I’ll also be continuing to build on the Film Club and I’d love to get to do some events outside the UK, maybe in the US!
