With travel curtailed, if not at a complete standstill, the peripatetic Sofia Sanchez de Betak did a different kind of exploring this year. A 23andMe kit revealed that the Buenos Aires–born, Paris-based creative has roots in Romania. Her latest Chufy collection plays up that connection with prints based on the country’s traditional embroideries and carpets.
In her label’s early days, Sanchez de Betak referenced regional silhouettes as much as patterns and motifs, but nearing the three-year mark Chufy is less obviously about destination wear or travel souvenirs—a kimono from Japan, a djellaba from Morocco—than it is a print-focused collection of easy-wearing pieces for city dwellers with a bohemian spirit.
Jumpsuits, for example, are an essential component of Sanchez de Betak’s everyday wardrobe—she appreciates their one-and-done simplicity—and so they’re a focal point of her latest collection. Her instinct was to tone down the ruffles and frills that have characterized previous Chufy outings. If the low-key attitude was a nod to the new COVID-19 reality, the belts and sneakers that these clothes are styled with are a reflection of Sanchez de Betak’s own wardrobe. “I’m laid back in my everyday style,” she said. But also ready to hit the road when the opportunity arises.
