The world-renowned Australian designer you’ve never heard of

5 days ago 5

As origin stories go, Silvana Azzi Heras has a pretty good one. She was in her final year of her Bachelor of Design at the University of Western Sydney, as it was then known, when her lecturer contacted her about some work with a relatively new designer, Catherine Martin.

It was the mid-1990s and Martin and her husband, Baz Luhrmann, had enjoyed considerable success with his directorial debut film, Strictly Ballroom (including awards for best costume design and best production design), and the couple was about to start the publicity tour for his next offering, Romeo+Juliet. It was clear their stars were on the rise – and that Martin needed more help.

Silvana Azzi Heras in her studio at home in the inner west.

So, she called the university and asked for recommendations for a couple of the best students in the course. Azzi Heras’ name was put forward.

“That weekend, my dad brought my little Apple computer over to Iona in Darlinghurst [where the couple lived] to help out CM,” she says.

It was the beginning of a partnership that would last almost 20 years, propelling Azzi Heras from an aspiring designer who grew up in Sydney’s inner west to an international creative powerhouse.

Martin says her talent was evident from the start.

“I met Silvana when she was very young – she hadn’t even graduated from graphic design at the University of Western Sydney,” says Martin. “What struck me about her was her open-mindedness, creative flair, tireless work ethic, sense of humour, and sophisticated sense of style and culture. And she was a Photoshop whiz.”

Rising to the position of head of design within three years, Azzi Heras’ film credits include set and costume design for Moulin Rouge, Australia, The Great Gatsby and Elvis. She also worked on stage productions such as the Tony Award-winning La Bohème and Netflix series The Get Down, as well as the Chanel No.5 campaign with Nicole Kidman.

“At Bazmark, we very much have a house style, which stems from the overarching aesthetic Baz has developed throughout his films over the years,” Martin says. “Our job as designers within that sphere is to respond to the narrative he wants to tell – whether it’s in a movie, a hospitality project, or a hotel like the Faena.”

Azzi Heras also worked with Martin on a range of projects away from the screen, including the design conception and execution of Faena Miami, the second luxury hotel from founder Alan Faena, which opened in 2015. Martin and Luhrmann were engaged as creative consultants on the hotel, which captured the decadent, Art Deco-style vibe of the city.

“That was very much Silvana’s and my role: to respond to the narrative created by Baz and Alan Faena and find a way to bring their vision – their dream – of the world of the hotel to life,” says Martin.

Azzi Heras has the ability to take the drama of theatre and film and translate it for every day use.

The project aligned perfectly with Azzi Heras’ aesthetic, which is inspired by early 20th-century design traditions such as Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts, but with a contemporary twist. Global creative director for Faena at the time, Ximena Caminos, says she brought a layer of theatrical sophistication to the interiors.

“I first met Silvana while she was working alongside Catherine Martin and Baz Luhrmann as we were designing Faena Miami. From the beginning, I recognised in her an artistic and theatrical gesture that set her apart,” says Caminos. “She has a rare ability to translate her background in film and theatre into the world of design, where every detail tells a story.”

In 2018, Azzi Heras launched House of Heras, kicking off her own brand with a range of rugs inspired by Australian flora with Sydney-based Designer Rugs. With it, she brought an elegance to the Australian design language, a departure from the bright palette and naive style of artists like Ken Done. Two more ranges followed: Birds and the Bees and Gardens of Andalucia. The through lines were organic forms inspired by nature, but with the discipline of symmetry – and always with a rich palette.

Wallpaper ranges followed with Milton & King, with Azzi Heras also translating her designs into upholstery fabrics, scarves and kimonos. When Caminos was considering who to bring on board for the next Faena hotel in New York, which has just opened, she says the decision was straightforward.

“What fascinates me most is how Silvana draws on traditions like the Arts and Crafts movement and reinterprets them through Australian flora, fauna, and bold decorative motifs,” she says. “She creates environments that are both timeless and alive. Her style became an important and interesting part of everything we did moving forward.”

Azzi Heras designed rugs for select locations throughout the hotel, including Argentine chef Francis Mallmann’s feted La Boca restaurant, as well as dresses for the wait staff. She also collaborated with Australian-born London-based designer Peter Mikic to create modern spaces with an Art Deco sensibility.

“They wanted it to be not as wild as my normal style but a bit more toned down and more deco,” says Azzi Heras. “I love the [Faena] brand, it is the most beautiful quality. They have such a great design eye, they just do things with the artist in mind.”

Caminos says Azzi Heras manages to balance cohesive design with a sense of wonder to create unexpected spaces that delight and draw you in.

Azzi Heras’ vibrant palate has stretched beyond fashion into homewares.

“One of the things I admire most in her practice is her versatility, her playfulness, and her extraordinary palette, which together turn each project into an experience akin to entering a rare new garden of exuberance and exoticism,” Caminos says.

Azzi Heras’ reach in the United States also extends to CB2, a companion brand to homewares retailer Crate & Barrel (not yet available in Australia), with a focus on modernist style through an urban lens. Her success in one of the world’s toughest markets is a surprise to her.

“I thought my aesthetic would be more European, but the Americans are loving it,” she says. “My wallpaper range with Milton & King, I see who is buying the most and it’s the US. They are the biggest fans.

“I must be doing something different that they don’t have there, which is amazing, because there’s so much on offer.”

The latest House of Heras dinnerware for CB2 in the US.

Owner of Designer Rugs, Yosi Tal, says aside from her relative obscurity, the most surprising thing about Azzi Heras is her unassuming demeanour.

“She has worked at the highest level with absolute superstars and does amazing work. She worked with Catherine for many years and she’s still so nice and genuine and down to earth,” he says. “She is prolific and yet her feet have remained on the ground.”

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