Domestika Diary: Hannah Rubinstein

This Rio de Janeiro stylist found her inspiration to create fancy dress, accessories and colorful fashion collections in her city’s famous Carnival

Hannah Rubinstein is a young fashion designer born in Cartagena (Colombia) and raised in Rio de Janeiro. She is the founder and creative director of fashion brand Nuska, and worked as a stylist for Farm, another brand synonymous with Rio life. As well as designing colorful collections full of texture with an eternally festive, light-hearted spirit, she also creates Carnival costumes and designs head-wear that triumphs on the streets of her chosen city.

In this Domestika Diary video, she tells us about her Carnival references and shows how the confluence of nature and the city in Rio is a source of constant, daily inspiration:

The fact that this year’s Carnival was cancelled due to Covid-19 doesn’t get Hannah down. She has plenty of memories from previous years and looks hopefully towards a future full of new insanity and new encounters once everyone’s been vaccinated. She is constantly creating. Carnival sums up her creative process in its evocation of absolute freedom, light, comfortable textures and fun and original shapes.

Even without the party, she loves street people watching, being in contact with nature, taking an early morning sea dip and visiting one of the many waterfalls in the Tijuca jungle, one of the world’s biggest urban forests. It all helps new ideas for her collections blossom.

Forest flowers, leaves and colors find a home in head-wear designs that have been strutting their stuff on the city streets for years. When revelling in Rio de Janeiro, where Carnival temperatures can reach around 40 degrees Celsius, it’s essential to go lightly clothed. And Hannah’s colorful hats and accessories help get party goers into the mood.

English version by @studiogaunt

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- Domestika Diary: Fernanda Guimarães.
- 5 Courses on How to Become a Floral Designer.
- What is a Fashion Stylist and How to Become One.