Sofia Karvela
On her product line-up for lips:
“Lip gloss by Fresh! My go to. My favourite lipstick is ‘Addiction’ by my dear friend and genius make-up artist Ayako – amazing products. And I still use The Body Shop lip liners. I have used those since I was 13!”
On her signature scents:
“My fragrance collection is huge. My absolute favourite smells are Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and Egyptian Opium oil I brought from Morocco when I visited 4 years ago.”
On her foundations on rotation:
“Napoleon Perdis Off Duty Tinted Moisturiser. Great products. I styled a couple of his campaigns so I’m very familiar with his work and a great fan of his. The white tube is Nyx Beauty Balm. I apply as foundation. It’s not too thick and it covers any blemishes without making your skin feel heavy or clogged.”
On what she uses for eyes:
“Chanel Les 4 Ombres, Quadra Eye Shadow. Prescriptives do eye pencils that are really smooth and easy to apply, almost creamy. Great to smudge… and M.A.C is always good, fun colours to play with.”
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On her skin miracle workers:
“Lately I’ve been using Rodin face oil and then I apply Valmont serum and face cream. Apparently it works miracles.”
On her signature beauty look:
“Long messy hair. Clean moist face and a smile.”
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On her apartment style:
“On the verge of hoarding… There is a lot of everything within a limited space. Thank God for my husband who keeps it all together.”
On how she keeps her skin glowing:
“I go to the Juice Press every day – sometimes twice a day. I get a green juice of mostly vegetables and a protein juice that consists of mainly blueberries and whey protein.”
On pulling together an outfit:
“Go with your first instinct. If there is something you really want to wear go for it and then own it. If you don’t then, jeans and a crisp white shirt never fails to impress. Top it with a dark blazer, an ankle bootie or high top sneaker and a black Ray-Ban and you are good to go.”
On her beauty treatments:
“I get a facial from Mario Badescu once a year. I like to do homemade yogurt, berry and sugar scrubs once a month and I love massages. I have an amazing guy that comes over my house and always focuses on massaging my face with this yummy oil that has me feeling 12 years old after I’m done!”
On her career beginnings:
“My first job was assisting Patricia Field in Sex and the City and in advertising. I quickly understood the business and continued to work on my own projects… I didn’t have to struggle coming up with ideas or the appetite to go out there and get jobs and reach out to people that I admire. I found that as long as you work really really hard things happen. I can say that it was not and still is not a free ride. That is fine with me.”
On keeping her hair fresh between salon visits:
“I dye and cut it twice a year and I never blow dry it or iron it. I leave it as it is.”
On how she keeps her skin glowing:
“I’m vegan and I don’t drink. Might seem boring but I highly recommend it!”
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On her favourite products for cheeks:
“Nicka K New York Blush. Cheap and cute. It fits everywhere. Victoria’s Secret blush is great too – it gives a lovely beach glow.”
On her exercise regime:
“I used to be a work out junkie. Lifting weights and a lot of cardio. Now I practice yoga 3-4 times a week and I lift my son all the time.”
“Le Petit Marseillais is the best body cream for super dry skin. The smell is so yummy you want to devour the whole thing. They don’t sell in America so I get my Parisian friends to send me four at a time.”
On her personal style:
“Almost bipolar I would say. But mostly on the dark side.”
On what she loves about living in NYC:
“Everything. The chaos, the speed, the ability to hide and meditate and learn and grow and to fall and get back up and keep on going.”
On her earliest beauty memory:
“My Mommy’s face.”
It’s something we all asked ourselves – or our friends – at some point between the late ‘90s and early 2000s: Are you a Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha or a Carrie?
Whether projecting personality quirks or failings through a fictional television character – i.e. “I’m a writer with a penchant for living beyond my means and a misguided yen for bad boys” (Carrie) – or recognising a spiritual fashion-sister in the tailored yet print and colour welcoming world of Miranda, the fashion of Sex And The City influenced us all.
Sofia Karvela was on hand for those fashion decisions that framed the personality and person style (two things that might be synonymous, surely?) of those women we know so well. Sofia – a stylist, creative director, costume designer and entrepreneur – had her first job assisting the now-legendary Patricia Field in Sex And The City.
Originally from Athens, Greece, and raised in London, Sofia has called New York home for years. So what does she love about the iconic city? “Everything. The chaos, the speed, the ability to hide and meditate and learn and grow and to fall and get back up and keep on going.”
It’s turned out to be the perfect place to express her creativity through the lens of fashion – an industry and art form she absorbed organically from the beginning of her career.
“I found the creative process very exciting and it came naturally. I didn’t have to struggle coming up with ideas or the appetite to go out there and get jobs and reach out to people that I admire and to then collaborate with them . I found that as long as you work really really hard things happen. I can say that it was not and still is not a free ride. That is fine with me. I thrive on challenges.”
Sofia’s approach to style and beauty are equally led by simplicity. She lists her typically daily routine as: Brush teeth. Wash face. Oil, serum and cream. Blush, mascara and lip gloss.
And is similarly understated with her fashion choices.
“If you don’t have to overthink it keep it simple,” she advises. “Go with your first instinct. If there is something you really want to wear go for it and then own it. If you don’t then, jeans and a crisp white shirt never fails to impress. Top it with a dark blazer, an ankle bootie or high top sneaker and a black Ray Ban and you are good to go.”
Own it, huh? Suddenly, all Carrie’s sartorial irreverence falls crash bang into place – perhaps a little Sofia magic was behind it all along.
Photographed by Soraya Zaman.
Words by Susannah Tucker.
