Valery Kaufman has looked to the stars for her next act.
The model has launched Sidera Paris, an astrology-inspired fashion label created alongside a well-known designer, with Revolve as its wholesale partner.
Kaufman, who has spent more than a decade modeling, showcases a line that focuses on dresses and swim, alongside zodiac medallions and jewelry. Made in Europe using Italian fabrics, the collection spans $65 jewelry to a $1,805 coin-embellished bra, with swim starting at $180, dresses largely ranging from about $690 to $1,250 and accessories including a $1,120 charm belt.
“The biggest change for me personally has been going from interpreting other people’s visions to having to define my own,” said Kaufman, who splits her time between Los Angeles, Paris and New York, in a statement to WWD. “As a model, your job is to step into somebody else’s world. With Sidera, suddenly I had to ask myself, ‘What is my world?’ That has been exciting, but also much more personal and vulnerable than I expected.
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“I’ve also never pretended to be a designer. I know what I love, I know how I want a woman to feel, and after so many years in fashion I have a very strong instinct for what feels right, but I wanted real design expertise behind the product.”
The launch campaign, shot in St. Barths, features Kaufman alongside models Delilah Belle Hamlin, Shanina Shaik and Ophélie Guillermand.
“Delilah, Shanina, Ophélie and I are very different women. We have different personalities, backgrounds and energies, and I loved seeing how differently each of us inhabited the clothes,” Kaufman said. “I wanted each woman to bring herself. The clothes don’t tell you who to become, they should amplify something that is already there.”
The name Sidera comes from the Latin word for “stars,” a reference to Kaufman’s longtime interest in astrology. She said the concept crystallized during her honeymoon after an evening spent stargazing in the desert.
In addition to Revolve, Sidera is selling through its own e-commerce site. Kaufman ultimately sees the label growing beyond occasion dressing into a broader wardrobe that could include T-shirts and at-home pieces.
“I’d rather have women become obsessed with a few Sidera pieces first and then earn the right to give them more,” she said.
