Style is a space that we can shape to fit us – to truly express who we are, or who we wish to be. It’s the second skin we apply daily to keep ourselves safe and reflect the ever-evolving dialogue we share with the world as we walk through life. Aside from personal expression, it is also a form of creativity we can use to better understand cultures, explore themes of fantasy and create worlds. From conceptualising fashion stories to styling herself in vintage couture and runway pieces, Lady Barbara Ayozie Fu Safira harnesses style and fashion as her canvas, one often doused in colour and unique flair.

Born and raised in northern Italy to Nigerian parents, Safira moved to London a decade ago where she has built a successful career as a stylist, creative director and costume designer for film, TV, theatre, advertising and fashion. Also a painter and photographer, she’s an unbridled dreamer who consistently delivers captivating narratives steeped in emotion. Her clients have included Netflix, BET, Nike and Channel 4. Her story ‘Unfolded Love’ featured in both Vogue Italia and Nataal and other fashion editorials have appeared in Glassbook, GQ, Elle and Metal. She’s styled London Fashion Week shows for the likes of Tolu Coker and Eudon Choi. And no stranger to working with the music industry's hottest names, Safira has also collaborated with artists such as Cleo Sol, Wizkid, Kojey Radical and Little Simz.

We meet on a sunny winter’s day, decorated with blue skies and crisp frost. Her West London flat is warm and inviting. Upon entering her living room, I am received by a space perfectly lit by a stream of orange light as it pours through large, open windows. A multitude of R&B and soulful sounds fill the air, coupled with the rich smell of frankincense. She shows me around the residential garden in the below square, a beautifully kept private park with grand trees, before heading back to talk about Safira’s approach to art, her unfulfilled dreams, and the space I think a lot of us can share in collective longing: love.

IC: What project are you working on right now?

B: This month, I'm working on a painting which has been bought by an American collector. Those works are a mixture of my photography with acrylic and oil paint.

IC: What are the things you always keep in mind when creating?

B: I guess to be true to myself. I’m not really thinking; I'm just in the vessel of doing or putting into a canvas, or into a garment, or into a photo. But everything that I do comes from my understanding of my experiences as a human being, and therefore, it's a very sincere way of creating, and it's kind of timeless because I don't think of trends; I just do. I would boldly say that I could be a trend or a trendsetter, so everything that I do will stand the test of time.

IC: What are some qualities that are quintessentially you?

B: Well, I'm a Lady; that’s my title. So basically, for me, it's the idea of living by values and good morals and always being covered, but not because I am a conservative or a traditionalist, but because I believe that your body is like your own temple and you should decide when you should open up to others. But also, I am just very much a dreamer, a visionary, and very elegant in my own way.

IC: What are some projects that you've worked on that were impactful for you?

B: There’s been three that I really enjoyed. One was called was ‘Unfolded Love’. It was the first time I was published as a stylist, creative director and photographer and it featured on both Vogue Italia and Nataal. Funny enough, the other day I was researching and one of the images came up on Pinterest, so it’s nice to know that people are still inspired by these images. ‘Unfolded Love’ was very special to me because we shot in this amazing garden and I’m really into nature. We also shot with no budget so it was very beautiful and something just I did for myself.

IC: Why did you call it ‘Unfolded Love’?

B: At first, we didn’t have a story but the two models were a couple – Aweng Chuol and Nyaluak Leth – and while we were shooting, I unfolded their love stories. You know, the way they were, their mannerisms, their behaviours. And that's why I eventually called it ‘Unfolded Love’, because that's what happened that day.

IC: And the other two special projects?

B: I enjoyed working with Chris Brown and Wizkid for the ‘Call Me Every Day’ video. It was a really interesting project because there were a lot of things to do, a lot of creation and a lot of pressure. But the end result is just beautiful. And then, ‘Oba’, which is a short film directed by Femi Oladigbolu. I created the dress for the film here in this living room, on my mannequin. Yeah, I would say that it was the first big couture dress I actually made.

IC: What music do you like to have on in the background at home?

B: If I'm working, it's classical. If I am chilling, like today, it's R&B, soul, soulful African and spiritual. I'm a very soulful person, and I'm very spiritual. I burn frankincense because my home is a very sacred space for me. So definitely, I like to go more back into the 50s, 60s and 70s African and Asian-South Asian music. I love Brownstone’s ‘If You Love Me'. Power. Power. Power. And I love Vivaldi's ‘Four Seasons’. For an album, ‘Drums of Passion’ by Babatunde Olatunji.

IC: What space does clothing create for you?

B: I feel comfortable; it’s like a nice conversation or therapy. It’s like brush strokes on myself. For example, today I'm wearing nothing branded apart from my shoes and my glasses. My dress is from the 1970s and my skirt is early 80s Italian couture. I'm a digger, and I never really tell people where I go to find these pieces but I also let things find me.

IC: What spaces feel like home to you?

B: Well, because I have chosen this country to live in, then this flat, in particular, has become my home. It’s my baby. I love it. I really love it. Then, my mother, she's my home. I have her on the screen saver of my phone, so when I woke up this morning with the alarm, the first thing I saw was my mother. Then Italy is my home. I love Italy. My sister lives in Tuscany, and I spend a lot of time there with her. Tuscany is my chosen region in Italy. And then Scotland. Since I was a child, before I'd ever travelled to any country, I always thought that Scotland was calling me. It’s the nature.

IC: What dreams are you working toward?

B: This year is going to be a year of rebirth for me, and my career is going to go into a new chapter. And then, I'm focusing on philanthropy and helping people. My dream would be to get married and have a family. Be a mum. I don't think I have fully blossomed outwardly in the way I should or am supposed to, yet.

IC: I think that's good because it gives you something to work towards. It's hopeful.

B: Yeah, I guess it's harder because also everyone is busy, everything is so accessible, life is expensive, you know so many factors. Sometimes you meet someone amazing but it’s just not the right time, you know? So, I think getting the right timing, that's the universe telling you.

IC: What’s on your reading list right now?

B: I'm reading ‘The Rules of Life’ that a friend of mine gave me. I read a lot The Financial Times, it’s all around the flat. My favourite book, one I was thinking to re-buy, because I don’t have it anymore, is ‘The Post Office’ by Charles Bukowski. That's my number one book. I originally read it when I first moved to Paris and lived there for six months. I felt like it just really helped me at that time.

IC: What is a space that you long for or you want in the future?

B: I would say love – the right person. I would like to find my Clyde. A partner in crime who is not into fashion, a man who works in art or on the business side. Someone who understands artists, maybe a man who walks the dog and wears a suit. Stability, someone who’s rounded and warm. A family man who can hunt or do a BBQ, or fix things. Someone who makes me feel protected.

IC: Can you write a handwritten note?