While attending a recent spring press preview at a showroom a couple weeks ago my eyes fell upon a rack of winter apparel that literally took my breath away. I’d like to say I go to these fashion previews with an open mind and a wide-eyed view, but every so often a line speaks to my personal fashion preferences and I am rendered helpless. I instantly zeroed in on this fabulous wool coat and I found myself pawing it. What is this line? Datura and you can only purchase it online. I feel I discovered a true fashion find and am excited to share it with you, our readers.
Datura designer Stefania Borras launched the brand in the summer of 2013, with the express purpose of providing her gorgeous line at a reasonable and fair price. Her aesthetic takes the beauty of the Mediterranean and fuses it with an urban sophistication. Designed in New York City and produced in Barcelona, Datura features timeless, feminine pieces that emulate a sense of refined ease and comfort and will endure season after season. Her website Datura.com is the only place to purchase the items and features web only pricing, intentionally bypassing shops, distributors and showrooms. This way she can offer amazing prices while maintaining outstanding quality. Brilliant right?
The Datura coat I MUST own!
Originally from Mallorca, Spain, Borras finds inspiration from the natural beauty of the island (which she still frequently visits) combined with a city living aesthetic. Following her design experience at brands including Burberry and Marithé + Francois Girbaud, Borras started her eponymous award-winning fashion line in Barcelona in 2008. After moving to New York City in 2012, she created Datura – offering her exquisite pieces with handcrafted elements and a tightly controlled manufacturing process in Spain.
The Datura collection is designed with the modern independent, free-spirited woman in mind; one who has an individual sense of style. She is elegant and creative, loves to travel and wants her clothes to be versatile and comfortable, yet very feminine. The collection features all natural, soft fabrics such as cotton and silk, so they feel like a second skin. Designs are minimal yet sophisticated…and timeless. Day or night the Datura woman looks effortless from afar and elegant up close.
Focused on creating superior quality (which you can instantly see), Datura employs a “slow fashion” method, making a conscious choice to control the way its clothes are made and offering timeless pieces rather than the latest trends that are worn once and discarded. This is not H&M fast-fashion and the prices top out at a very reasonable $600.
Take a look:
I had the opportunity to ask Datura designer, Stefania Borras about her fall collection of which I am totally smitten.
SCS:I was completely blown away by the design and timelessness of your fall collection. What was the inspiration? Is there a theme each season or will the pieces just build on each other?SB: Thanks so much, we are very happy you liked it! The inspiration comes from a volcano in Venus called Maatmons named after the Egyptian goddess Maat; that stands for truth and balance. I normally have a theme that helps me build a collection. Sometimes there is a theme per collection or a theme per season – it really depends. However, we always need to have something to draw ideas and inspiration from and as well get me excited about the process.
SCS:Who is your muse? Who would you like to see in your clothes.SB:Real women who feel beautiful and young are our muses. They are the ones that really show off the clothes.
SCS:Our audience is the 30-50 women who likes the finer things, but for a fair price. What pieces from your collection do you recommend for our readers? The ‘must-haves.’SB:My favorites for this season are the Mohair Cosy Dress pieces and the Mohair Coat. Also the Twist Dress, the Kimono in Wool and the Medusse Pants in Silk are ‘must-haves.’
SCS:Why do you sell online only? How do you deal with fit issues or attract those who like to try on before they buy?SB:We sell online only is because we want to offer the best quality fabrics + design at a fair price. Our prices are more than half the price we could offer if we were at a physical shop.
Our clothes fit many types and body shapes. We only serve in 2 sizes and it really depends on your height and if you prefer it to feel tighter or loser. A few of our pieces have a playful element that allows them to be be worn differently or be adjusted to different body types.
SCS:How are your clothes/materials sustainable?SB:The idea of an online only brand is a sustainable concept by default because by going direct to the customer, you avoid the inefficiencies and overhead of the middlemen. We also control very tightly the process and the way our clothes are manufactured. Our materials are always 100% natural and mostly organic, whenever we find great organic fabrics.
SCS:Where do you see Datura in 5 years? What are the goals for the company?SB: Our goal is to keep on innovating and reaching more customers without compromising the quality and values of the brand.
SCS:What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?SB: You have endless power to achieve whatever you want in life.
Be sure to visit Datura.com and buy everything!
– Lauren Dimet Waters
I had the opportunity to ask Datura designer, Stefania Borras about her fall collection of which I am totally smitten.
SCS: I was completely blown away by the design and timelessness of your fall collection. What was the inspiration? Is there a theme each season or will the pieces just build on each other?
SB: Thanks so much, we are very happy you liked it! The inspiration comes from a volcano in Venus called Maatmons named after the Egyptian goddess Maat; that stands for truth and balance. I normally have a theme that helps me build a collection. Sometimes there is a theme per collection or a theme per season – it really depends. However, we always need to have something to draw ideas and inspiration from and as well get me excited about the process.
SCS: Who is your muse? Who would you like to see in your clothes.
SB: Real women who feel beautiful and young are our muses. They are the ones that really show off the clothes.
SCS: Our audience is the 30-50 women who likes the finer things, but for a fair price. What pieces from your collection do you recommend for our readers? The ‘must-haves.’
SB: My favorites for this season are the Mohair Cosy Dress pieces and the Mohair Coat. Also the Twist Dress, the Kimono in Wool and the Medusse Pants in Silk are ‘must-haves.’
SCS: Why do you sell online only? How do you deal with fit issues or attract those who like to try on before they buy?
SB: We sell online only is because we want to offer the best quality fabrics + design at a fair price. Our prices are more than half the price we could offer if we were at a physical shop.
Our clothes fit many types and body shapes. We only serve in 2 sizes and it really depends on your height and if you prefer it to feel tighter or loser. A few of our pieces have a playful element that allows them to be be worn differently or be adjusted to different body types.
SCS: How are your clothes/materials sustainable?
SB: The idea of an online only brand is a sustainable concept by default because by going direct to the customer, you avoid the inefficiencies and overhead of the middlemen. We also control very tightly the process and the way our clothes are manufactured. Our materials are always 100% natural and mostly organic, whenever we find great organic fabrics.
SCS: Where do you see Datura in 5 years? What are the goals for the company?
SB: Our goal is to keep on innovating and reaching more customers without compromising the quality and values of the brand.
SCS: What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
SB: You have endless power to achieve whatever you want in life.
Be sure to visit Datura.com and buy everything!
– Lauren Dimet Waters
