You’d be forgiven for thinking that TikTok isn’t an app that lends itself well to fashion. Hilarious videos, puppies looking adorable or pranks that leave you in stitches, maybe – but it seems much more difficult to grab someone’s attention on the app with an outfit. It takes being inventive, creative and unique, which fashion designer and model Claudya Moreira is in bucketloads – so it’s no surprise that her videos, which show viewers countless different ways to wear a scarf have taken off.
Claudya, 34, has become an Internet sensation for her innovative and stylish uses for the underrated accessory. From turning a scarf into a chic top using a ring, to creating a bag with it, she seems to know better than anyone how to be economical with the item. Her videos have proved so popular that she’s racked up a following of 173.4k followers at the time of writing and she shows no signs of slowing down, with Vogue and Vanity Fair writing about her videos.
Claudya’s art takes time, as she told Vogue, ‘I spend one to two hours in front of the mirror almost every day, practicing new ways to tie a knot with a scarf, until it turns into something I like and I would wear.
‘I research a lot and spend hours every day just focused on next steps, next stylings, and next creations.’
Fortunately the hard work has been worth it. Since she started posting on TikTok this year, Claudya has been able to start her own scarf brand, Zafia. The designs are vibrant and affordable, and with the Lisbon-based designer’s videos acting as inspiration for how to wear them, it’s no surprise they’re flying off the shelves since the brand launched in September.
Zafia is Claudya’s way of paying homage to her home. She told Vogue, ‘In Cape Verde island, where I was born, elder women wear a scarf tied around their heads so that younger people would know to treat the elder women with the utmost respect. When I look back to my childhood, I’ve always had contact with scarves – seeing my grandmother, who raised me, wearing it tied to her hair.’
The results are beautiful.
Follow Claudya on TikTok and Instagram. Check out Zafia here.
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