IL  ETAIT  UNE  FOIS       :       Nyulla Safi

A Model And Travel Photo-journalist Converted to Fashion Designer

Nyulla Safi Speaks To Morocco Today Info

H. B. Qounin, Chief Editor of Morocco Today interviewed Nyulla Safi, a designer of Berber origin, who loves Morocco and fashioning it in Australia".

Nyulla Safi is for the beautiful women. Women who are in the forefront of everything from society, theater, art, to politics, diplomacy and business. It is for those women who are not afraid to celebrate their femininity. It is certainly not designed to turn all the feminine beauty into one image. It is individual, feminine and eye-catching. 

Nyulla Safi collection is unique, elegant, sexy, and classical, it is distinctive. Contrasting the everyday look. It is about the women who would like to reclaim in the name of love the word femme and the feeling of irresistibility. 

Nyulla's collection dares to surface the dreams in spirit of a woman and lead them to a new horizon. Nyulla Safi is ingenuity, originality, innovative and creativeness combined with sparkling new splendor. The garments are designed to charm. 

Nyulla Safi is designed to attract attention. Bringing timeless beauty combined with modernity, this amalgamation is a pre-requisite for any woman. 

This is the person, the style and the profile, now with the interview:

MT: Women are always expecting something from the designer, but what a designer wants from a women?

NS: I want the women to re-discover what is it like to be a WOMAN. Designers have forgotten this. I want a woman to wear my clothes and feel so free and truly beautiful. I want her to feel like she has stopped the street in a moment of time. I want her to be proud of her features and I want the man who walks beside her to feel like there is no other in the world that could possibly match her beauty and spirit. 

MT: Tell us about the environment surrounding you while designing, and how you get the inspiration?

NS: I must admit that when I am designing I listen to various songs, specially French songs because they inspire me. The way I draw a curve or a line of a gown would depend on the feeling I get from the song. I like to look at nature and feel the sun or the rain on my face in order to draw a gown. I design with feelings and not with a pencil and paper. I put feelings in all my gowns. They speak of tenderness, softness, caress, feeling and beauty. They say "halt" for a moment, stop and admire , because if you miss your chance to admire such beauty you may not see it again.  

MT: Does your style reflect your personality?

NS: Absolutely. My label is kind and gentle to women. I love contradiction and versatility. Just when someone thinks they have me or my style figured out. I like to come along and do something totally unexpected to what they expect. One day you can see me with a stunning evening ball gown and stunning shoes and the next day you can see me bare feet and in a gypsy dress or skirt or the next day in a classical garment. I design with all rules broken. I am not like other designers, even a sweet smell can inspire me to design a gown. I am a very passionate lady and I love romance. I have such a romantic heart and I think it comes out in my label.

MT: This is about your style, what about yourself?

NS: I migrated to Australia after living in so many different countries such as Algeria, Kuwait, Iraq and France. I was a model and a travel photo- journalist.  I studied International Peace studies and Conflict resolution, Conflict in the Middle East. I speak English, French and some Arabic. I can even read and write Arabic, not to the expert level but I can manage. I was also learning Japanese and Indonesian. I love languages and I would like to speak many.

In October this year I have a very big competition for a prestigious fashion awards here in Australia called the RAQ fashion awards. It is when all the designers compete and it is a very big event and televised.

MT: What could you tell us about your previous trips?

I have spent my life traveling in many different countries such as Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Australia. I do not belong to a specific country. Even though I am a dual citizen of France and Australia, no country owns me and I own no country. I make this clear to everyone. However, one country owns my heart and that is Morocco and for a reason that I do not understand or even know. since my childhood I had dreamed of Morocco. Maybe because I have this Berber blood that needs to be allowed to be free. 

France also has been very kind to me and I do love France. 

MT: What makes this love for Morocco even stronger?

NS: Its beautiful nature and its wonderful people. The desert and the sand facing the great Atlas Mountains covered with snow, and overlooking wonderful green valleys. I dreamed of coming there wearing beautiful flowing dresses which sparkle and to see the various beauty it has.

When I feel lost or confused I listen to the song "Desert Rose" by Sting and Cheb Mami and my thoughts ponder of Morocco. I love the Berber part of this song. It feels powerful. As a little girl I used to sing the Song "Ahwak" (I love you) by Abdel Halim Hafez and pretend that I dedicate it to Morocco. over and over again I used to sing it. I use to always say "la tan sani" (do not forget me Morocco). 

Maybe you wonder if in a past life I was there? Who knows. I also believe in God. He has been kind to me and has watched over me on many hard times. I am not a person like every one else. I stand unique.

MT: Is there any secret about this love for Morocco?

NS:  Through a cousin that I have just found I have discovered that one side of my family is Berber. My other grandfather who had so much to do with morocco lives in France. I have not seen my Berber family since the age of 6 and my grandfather Safi since I was 14, but I am very proud to say I have Berber blood. I know that the word Berber / Amazith itself means free. Maybe this is why I feel the need to belong to no country because I have this Berber blood that needs to be allowed to be free. Since then I have always had a fascination for Morocco and I dream to pay a visit to this wonderful Kingdom.

I have this Berber blood that needs to be allowed to be free. France 
also has been very kind to me and I do love France, but in spite of everything, I have always had a fascination with Morocco and I dream to pay a visit to this wonderful Kingdom. My grand father had a number of things to do with Morocco. It is beautiful to see all the superb things there. For some reason I feel so close to Morocco

"I know what people are expecting from me", Nyulla always says, "they are expecting originality, innovation, ingenuity, creativeness combined with beauty and modernity" adding that ""My style and quality garments are fit for royal families, and I hope to be able to be a designer which they would consider."

Dresses designed to charm

Nyulla Safi, 31, born in France, is from Arabic origins and migrated to Australia. Nyulla Safi is a fashion designer who uses only Arabic fabrics.

Nyulla is renowned for her exquisite creativity and exotic designs and patterns, "I try never to repeat myself," she says, adding "I want my designs to attract attention. For this, I blend many colors. I also choose my own fabrics, including Arabic fabrics, and I also choose my own materials and paint them according to my taste. Designing for me is a form of art that makes the dress more chic and elegant"

The Art of Being Different

"My label" she added, "is making great head waves here and it's totally feminine , exclusive and exquisite. There are not many Arabic designers in the English lands, so I have to work extra harder than the usual designer because I know I am bringing originality combined with modernity to this region of the world, this amalgamation is a pre-requisite for any woman", adding that "what a woman wears should reflect her personality, this entails a tremendous amount of respect and trust for her designer."

"The woman wants to look pretty and I want people to talk about my dress, so we both have something in common - to appear attractive, in our daily life, whether at home, outside or in the office."

Awakening Sleeping Beauties

What style of evening wear suits you best? Single or double? Long or very short? For big bust or short torso, slim build or long torso, full or pear shape?

Well, it all depends on your proportions, body type and silhouette. This is the way Nyulla designs dresses that awaken sleeping beauties.

Nyulla's limited edition of exquisite evening wear becomes a vogue, "I particularly like the idea of revealing clothes because it shows the delicate body of a women and makes her more feminine," says Nyulla, "and because it is a limited edition, I think that every woman should have an evening dress from my limited collection in her closet." 

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