We have to admit that we have been crushing over Savina Chai's monochromatic wardrobe. The leather clad style influencer has a knack for pairing minimalist pieces in more ways than one. As the founder of the fashion label Eight Slate, she styles shoots, picks out fabrics and fashion designs on top of curating her chic Instagram feed. Savina shares with us the importance of work-life balance and why fashion is much more than playing dress up.
Credit: Savina Chai
Her Personal Style and Go-to Pieces
"I would say that my style is interchangeable. My wardrobe staples are white shirts, basic white tees, leather jackets, black jeans and white sneakers."
Her Style Philosophy
"Dress to reflect your personality, not what is on trend. Quality over quantity, because it does not matter if you have a huge closet if they're all poorly made trendy clothing which may come off as cheap. If I could raid someone's closet, it would be Nicole Richie. I just love her effortless style."
Credit: Savina Chai
What Influences her Creative Process
"I'm constantly thinking and creating images in my mind, so the creative process is an ongoing journey. I'm always looking for inspiration through powerful women, culture, print, music and film like any artist do, because I feel that fashion is more than just clothing. Phoebe Philo, Victoria Beckham and Miroslava Duma are some of the women who are inspiring me at the moment. Fashion is an art, it is an expression of what you'd like to reflect on the outside. It is an attitude and confidence booster that ties along with your personality, makeup and hairdo."
Her Day-to-Day Routine
"I start my day at 9. I check my emails, shoot some adverts, have breakfast, do Pilates and gym for an hour, shower, shoot adverts and prepare to head to the studio. A typical day at work starts with me listing down what I'd like my interns to do, and planning my weekly schedule and appointments. I would finish my to-do list for the day, and head down for meetings or meet my tailors to pick out specific fabrics and samples. I'll then pack orders and reply emails again."
Credit: Savina Chai
Work-life Balance
"Meeting my boyfriend helps me to unwind after a long day of work. He takes my mind off work and just seeing his face after a hectic day reminds me to settle down, relax and to really enjoy my time away from work. I used to be extremely stressed every day and work from 9am right till 2am until I met him. It redefined how I should be enjoying my youth and work by having work-life balance."
Credit: Savina Chai