De La Vali, the fashion story that has made Ibiza proud. Founders Jana Sascha Haveman and Laura Castro tell Nativ how it all began.
Your story is like something out of a fairytale, an extraordinary journey from Ibiza to the international catwalks. How did it begin?
We’ve always lived and breathed fashion. As little girls, we played dress-up in our mothers’ wardrobes. We would even style our brothers for impromptu photo shoots! Our early teens were spent traipsing around the Sant Jordi hippodrome flea market, looking for treasure left behind by the many eccentrics that have visited Ibiza over the years. We started bonding over our shared interest in fashion from a young age, and by the time we reached adolescence it was clear that we needed to manifest all that passion into something of our own.
How did India inspire you?
India is a place very close to our hearts as it is where everything started. We made our very first collection out there. It’s such an incredible source of inspiration as the culture is so vibrant and colourful, and you can find the most exquisite fabrics. Goa has always been closely connected to Ibiza, and many Ibiza locals spend their winters there. Since the 1960s it’s been a crossroads for bohemians and hippies from all over, and that free-spirited energy is still very much alive today. We love the feeling of driving on a motorbike through the back roads of Goa, with the wind blowing through our hair, whizzing off to markets to find special fabrics which we then drop off at the factory. Our business looks very different these days though!
Kate Moss was one of the first to buy one of your dresses. How was that?
Ever the trendsetter that she is, she was the one to discover us and continues to be a close friend and supporter of the brand today!
Who inspires De La Vali in 2019?
De La Vali has many different muses, who usually differ from collection to collection. It may be a fictional movie heroine or an exhilarating icon of the past. But our true muse, and the inspiration behind the name De La Vali, is Vali Myers, a deeply enchanting artist from the late 1960s and 1970s. Her strong presence and sense of self has been a constant inspiration to our brand.
Last summer was all about your Juliette dress – worn by everyone. Tell us about your summer collection and what we’ll be wearing this winter.
This summer our hero dress is our beloved Koko, a puff-sleeved minidress worn by Kendall Jenner, Dolly Alderton, Clara Paget, Chloe Lecareux and Kourtney Kardashian. For the winter we predict it may be our Al Capone or Gin dress, in green lurex.
Why do you think the world has been captivated by your beautiful pieces?
We are creating clothing that personifies our Ibizan heritage. Our clothing is authentic to our personal tastes and style, and is emblematic of the bohemian carefree Ibiza lifestyle. This is something that people want to connect to. Buying a De La Vali dress is like buying a ticket to your next dream destination.
