The Ibiza-Born Brand Australian Women Can’t Get Enough Of
Ibiza Energy, London Edge
By Kiri Johnston | 26th February 2026There’s something about De La Vali that feels both escapist and self-possessed, a brand that moves between sun-drenched sensuality and razor-sharp edge without ever losing its centre.
I met founder and creative director Jana Sascha in Sydney earlier this month, as the Ibiza-born designer brought her world of island freedom and London grit to Australia. As the brand approaches its tenth year, we spoke about growing up wild and unfiltered, building a label from instinct, and why dressing for yourself is the ultimate power move.
You grew up on the magical island of Ibiza. What was it actually like growing up there, and how did it shape you? It shaped me entirely. I feel so fortunate to have experienced such an abundance of uninhibited freedom, pure nature, and wildness as a child. Ibiza truly is a magical place. Many people know it for its hedonistic party scene, but the island has so much more to offer. My parents were free thinkers, and they raised me among a very liberal crowd of interesting, eccentric people. I think my childhood in Ibiza hasn’t only shaped me as a person, but also deeply influenced me as a designer.
How did fashion come into your life? Was it something you were always surrounded by, or did you feel a pull to create your own thing and go your own way? Fashion was something that always captivated me and surrounded me. My auntie who lived in Berlin was the coolest fashion designer, she made these one of a kind leather pieces that had so much attitude to them, I still wear and adore them today.
My mum was always impeccably dressed, she embodied that laid-back island aesthetic, but with an effortless sense of glamour. Her style has remained a huge source of inspiration to me throughout the years. From as young as I can remember, my afternoons were best spent playing dress-up in my mother’s wardrobe, which thankfully was always fair game to me.
When I was about 11, my family took me on a trip to Goa, India. I discovered the most incredible fabrics there and decided to design a few pieces of my own. Even at 11, I couldn’t quite find the exact micro mini skirt I had in mind, so the excitement of creating my own really stayed with me.
In my early twenties, I followed that same instinct and returned to Goa to design my first collection. I brought it back to Ibiza, where it quickly began gaining momentum. I’ve been following that impulse and that journey ever since.
There’s such a strong sense of femininity and sensual confidence in your designs. How does your Spanish heritage feed into that? When you’re designing, are you thinking about a woman, a place, a moment, or are you just trusting your instincts? Spanish culture is an endless source of inspiration to me. Traditional Spain, places like Seville hold such an incredibly beautiful aesthetic. There’s a richness, a depth, and a timeless femininity that I’m always drawn to.
The laid-back Spanish way of life is where I feel most comfortable. Spain is my home, and I naturally channel that energy when I’m creating. There’s a certain drama and passion to the Spanish soul, it’s deeply romantic and I think that sensuality and confidence inevitably find their way into my designs.
When I’m designing, I do trust my instincts. It’s often less about a specific woman or moment, and more about capturing a feeling, that emotion, that intensity, that romance.
De La Vali sits between Ibiza and London, two very different places, but both full of a strong energy. How do those two worlds influence your collections? And if someone had never been to either, how would you describe the feeling of each?
Both places are incredibly important to me. By the time I was 16, I was desperate to leave Ibiza, as idyllic as my life there had been. I felt like there was a whole world out there that I wanted to be part of. Especially London.
I had read and researched everything. Biba in the sixties, the punk movement, the mods and rockers, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Leigh Bowery, the underground club scene, Galliano, McQueen. Everything I loved seemed to originate in London. When I finally got there, I was just so excited it felt like the city was overflowing with culture. I guess that’s the one thing Ibiza lacks.
But then Ibiza offers something completely different, this serene frequency and untamed bohemianism. A certain simplicity to life that just can’t be found in London. Both places bring very different elements to my work. As romantic and ethereal as my collections are, I like to think there’s a certain edge to my designs and that edge comes from London.
London is electric, gritty, realism. Ibiza is serene, idealistic, escapism. London is my pulse. Ibiza is my breathing. I need both to feel alive.
Australians have really embraced your brand. What do you love about the Australian woman, and why do you think De La Vali resonates so strongly here? I love how open and free-spirited Australian women are. They really know how to dress up and embrace glamour, but always in an effortless, laid-back way, which is the very essence of De La Vali.
It feels like such a natural and genuine understanding between the brand and Australian women. There’s a shared energy, that balance of confidence, femininity, and ease that makes the connection feel completely organic.
And of course, our muse is Vali Myers, who was Australian. She embodied that wild, artistic, untamed spirit that inspires the brand so deeply. So in many ways, that connection to Australia has always been there from the very beginning.
The partnership with The New Trend feels like a match made in heaven. What makes it the right home for De La Vali in Australia, and how did your relationship with Vanessa come about? Vanessa has such an incredible eye, her curation is impeccable, and she truly understands her customer. She first spotted our AW24 collection in our Paris showroom, which is how we began working together. From the very beginning, it just felt aligned.
With The New Trend’s support, we’ve seen incredible success in the Australian market. Last year, our Ravenna dress went viral. We kept seeing it everywhere and simply couldn’t keep it in stock.
We’re genuinely so excited about the partnership, and it’s been such a joy to come out here and celebrate the launch of our new collection together.
‘LUNA’ is confident, sensual and very ‘De La Vali’. What was the inspiration behind the collection, and how do you want women to feel when they’re wearing these pieces? The collection was inspired by Donyale Luna. She was such a powerful, otherworldly presence, mysterious, confident, and completely unapologetic in her individuality. There was a sensuality to her, but it was always intelligent and self-possessed. That duality really resonated with me.
With LUNA, I wanted to capture that feeling, that quiet strength, that magnetism. The pieces are confident and feminine, but effortless in their expression. They’re about owning your space in a subtle yet undeniable way.
When a woman wears this collection, I want her to feel powerful, sensual, and entirely herself like the most beautiful version of who she already is.
You’re coming up to almost ten years of De La Vali, which is huge – congrats. Looking back, what are you most proud of, and how do you feel you’ve evolved creatively since those early days? I’m honestly so proud of everything we’ve achieved. Building a brand isn’t always easy, hence why it’s called building. It takes time, resilience, and a huge amount of effort. But when you genuinely love what you do, it can also bring such immense joy and fulfilment.
The brand has evolved so much. I started it when I was so young, and as I’ve grown up, the brand has grown up alongside me. Naturally, my perspective has shifted and matured, and that’s reflected in the collections.
But one thing that has always remained the same is the spirit and the soul. That essence, that emotion, has been there from the very beginning.
What’s next for you and for De La Vali? Anything exciting on the horizon that you can share with us? Honestly, so much. We’ve seen incredible growth over the past few years, which has been so exciting. Opening our first store in London was a huge milestone for us and a really proud moment.
We will be partnering with new global retailers later this year, which feels like a really exciting next chapter.
Also we’re launching outerwear and knitwear, which feels like a natural evolution for the brand. It’s exciting to expand the wardrobe and offer more depth to our collections while staying true to our spirit.
Looking ahead, I have big aspirations. I’m passionate about every element of a woman’s wardrobe from eyewear to shoes, bags, and swim and I’d love to explore those categories further in the future. Our bridal offering is being so well received, I love designing into that and look forward to continuing to develop that category.
Ultimately, the dream is to bring the world of De La Vali around the globe, opening flagship stores in the places we love and fully immersing people in the spirit and universe of the brand.
Finally, De La Vali is often worn by women who dress for themselves. What does that kind of confidence mean to you today? To me, that kind of confidence is everything. It’s about dressing for your own pleasure, your own expression not for validation or approval. There’s something incredibly powerful about a woman who knows who she is and dresses to reflect that, rather than to fit into someone else’s idea of her.
I hope to add to that confidence by creating pieces in which she can fully feel herself heightened, affirmed, and completely at ease. If what I design allows her to step more deeply into her own identity and energy, then I’ve done my job.
