Sustainability is a term that is often bandied about by brands, often with liberal use. Not so for SAFIRO, a made-to-order fashion label with an unwavering commitment to ethical consumerism, founded by Yulia Shirokova.

Yulia had been quietly creating garments and working with private clients for more than a decade, while maintaining an international career consulting for some of the world’s biggest financial institutions, before deciding to launch a bespoke label. “I realised that it wasn’t just about creating a fashion line,” she recalls. “It was about finding a way to empower women to feel the very best that they can about themselves and achieve their goals through the way they dress.”

SAFIRO focusses on trendless, sophisticated garments that are built to last. Ticking the desk-to-dinner box perfectly, feminine pieces are designed to take you from an important client meeting to cocktail hour with ease. Case in point: the White Lily trousers, tailored to a wide-leg silhouette with unique ‘Calla Lily’ folds, and fully-lined in silk satin. These match perfectly with the Pearl evening coat in elegant winter white, with a complementing ‘Calla Lily’ collar and fluted sleeves.

The majority of garments are meticulously hand-sewn, with sumptuous cashmere coats and lightweight tweed jackets taking approximately 25-30 hours to make. With a beautiful funnel neck, the Orchid Kimono Jacket draws influence from Georgia O’Keefe’s abstract paintings, crafted from reversible double wool in cool grey and vibrant pink or eye-catching royal blue. The collection is predominantly seasonless, moving fluidly between autumn and winter.

For Yulia, premium fabric and a fully-transparent supply chain are essential to the brand. She visited manufacturers and fabric mills across Italy and France in order to source her ethically produced and biodegradable silk, cashmere and wool. Bespoke clothing is made-to-order within 14 days, alongside a few pieces that are readily available off the rack. SAFIRO specialises in limited-edition runs, meaning there will only ever be a small number of designs created in each fabric.

Prices are naturally steep, with jackets starting from £1,155 and trousers from £755. Though when you consider the couture-like level of craftsmanship involved in each garment, and the price of an off-the-peg designer alternative, prices are fairly competitive. And unlike most designer fashion brands, which stop at a size 14, garments are not constrained by numbers. As Yulia says: “With a bespoke garment, you can get something completely unique and handmade, which actually fits.”

Appointments in London are currently taking place at Nicola Donati in Belgravia. SAFIRO also offers private at-home consultations and hotel visits. The experience itself is an intimate affair, in which every detail – from the hem length to the shoulder line – is considered. During the consultation, a client’s measurements are taken to ensure each piece fits like a glove, and there is the option to discuss colour palettes and fabric choices.

SAFIRO has also hosted private, socially-distanced events during 2020, in London and also in Monaco, where its collections were showcased at the Concours d’Elegance Vintage & Modern Car Rally. The female-founded company is poised to launch further exclusive initiatives in 2021.

In a world of fast fashion and surplus waste, SAFIRO offers a refreshingly considered and modern alternative, which is completely bespoke to the wearer. “The name SAFIRO comes from the multifaceted sapphire. I have created this fashion line to empower multifaceted women, with purpose and ambition, grit and grace – whether they are a mum, a businesswoman or simply striving to make the world a better place.”