The Beginning of the Laura Daili Journey
Laura Daili’s story began with persistence, intuition, and a restless curiosity for creation. As a student at the Art University, she spent long nights sketching, sewing, and preparing for competitions, convinced that fashion was more than clothing—it was a language. “As a fashion student, I had a predisposition for the sense of beauty in art,” she recalls. “That intuition pushed me into projects and competitions, always testing how far my ideas could go.”
In 1999, she entered the International Smirnoff Fashion Awards—then one of the most prestigious student fashion competitions in the world. She won the first place in national final in Lithuania across all categories—creativity, concept, and execution—and earned the chance to represent her country at the global finals in Hong Kong. For a young second-year student, the experience was both terrifying and exhilarating. She suddenly found herself in front of legendary designers such as John Rocha, Antonio Berardi, and Michiko Koshino, listening as they offered advice on how to survive in the fashion industry. Their recognition felt like a door opening—an invitation to trust her vision and continue her path. “That competition was the true beginning of my career,” Laura says. “The spark from which everything unfolded.”
“Building Laura Daili as my own brand was always the dream—to create an authentic story, true to our vision, where art, fashion, and personal values meet.” In Lithuanian, Daili means beautiful, pleasant, and aesthetic, so it was natural that Laura’s surname became an inseparable part of the label itself. Together with her husband, glass artist Viktoras Dailidėnas, she founded the brand that carries her name—one rooted in artistry, intimacy, and cultural meaning.
Laura Dailideniene, Founder and Creative Director of the Laura Daili Fashion House
Over more than two decades, Laura has presented more than thirty collections at international fashion weeks, exhibited her work in Tokyo, New York, Vienna, Berlin, Lviv, Riga, and other cities, and created designs that seamlessly transition from clothing, accessories and jewelry to conceptual art.
Her journey continues like a thread woven from fabrics, glass, and memories, always maintaining a balance between resistance and beauty, intimacy and universality.
A Family of Artists
Laura Daili’s path was shaped not only by study but also by lineage. She devoted nearly a decade to formal education, completing both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in fashion design, often across more than one Art University. Education, discipline, and rigorous craft became the foundation of her work.
But beyond formal study, she was profoundly shaped by her family and their legacies. I grew up surrounded by creativity: my grandfather was a conductor and music teacher, playing violin, accordion, and piano. He was also a man who survived political exile, carrying music with him as a form of resistance and hope. His niece and my aunt Rasa Dicpetris is the soul and co-songwriter of the British rock music band The Kinks, the wife of lead singer Ray Davies.
The wider family holds architects, musicians, writers, and public figures—legacies that continue to flow through her like an invisible inheritance. Viktoras, her husband and creative partner, also have a rich cultural background: his grandfather founded a library, his parents are contemporary painters, and his sister is a professional art critic working and living in Paris.
“Living in such an environment means that the pulse of art is always around us,” Laura reflects. “I often find inspiration in exhibitions, in walking the streets of Vilnius or Paris, or in wandering through other European capitals.”
Growing as an Independent Brand
Early in her career, she spent time in Chicago, interning and working in a luxury fabric salon located in the iconic Merchandise Mart. There, she learned to recognize the subtle structures of textiles, to understand their composition and to appreciate the intricate processes of embroidery, gilding, and embellishment. “It was an invaluable experience,” she recalls, “a training ground that sharpened my eye and gave me a deep respect for craftsmanship.”
At the same time, such proximity to the international fashion industry opened many doors—possibilities to step into the world of major fashion houses. There were offers, tempting and secure, that promised prestige, stability, and recognition. Yet Laura chose a different path—one that required courage, patience, and faith. “Building Laura Daili as our own brand was always the dream—to create an authentic story, true to our vision, where art, fashion, and personal values meet,” she explains.
The decision to return home and establish her own fashion house was not the easiest one. “Having your own brand means not only enjoying the fruits of creativity,” she admits, “but also living with constant pressure—stress, sleepless nights, creative struggle, deadlines. There were moments when I wondered if independence meant isolation. But I knew that only by staying true to my creative voice could I build something lasting.”
Despite encouragement—and at times pressure—from friends, colleagues, and those around her to pursue the safer path, Laura remained steadfast. Determination has always defined her character: when she sets her mind on something, she finds a way to achieve it.
That choice defined the rhythm of the brand: its growth has been slow, deliberate, and based on integrity—evolving not through shortcuts, but through resilience and an strong belief in authenticity.
Laura’s process remains profoundly hands-on. She sketches, embroiders, tests fabrics, and often completes the details herself. Silk, linen, cotton, and degradable synthetics form the core of her collections—materials treated responsibility. Sustainability has long been part of her philosophy, not as a fleeting trend but as a principle. “For me, slow fashion is about quality and awareness. Less is more,” she reflects. “It’s about thoughtful proportions, classic cuts in wearable fashion, and creative expression in the more conceptual work.”
The brand’s principles extend into action. Each year, Laura Daili donates a portion of its funds to Blossom of Hope, an initiative supporting breast cancer care. Acts of giving, just like acts of creation, are integral to the identity of the house.
Where Fashion Meets Art and Glass
It is no coincidence that the DNA of Laura Daili carries the transparency, fragility, and strength of glass. Laura’s husband is a professional glass artist who creates stained-glass works, installations, and sculptural forms exhibited internationally. Their joint projects often place glass panels as a backdrop to her fashion, jewelry, and accessories, creating immersive spaces where material and medium converse. This is а collaboration philosophy—that creativity is strongest when rooted in dialogue.
Glass meets fashion as Laura fuses the sleek curves and fluid lines of contemporary glasswork with the latest trends and creative ideas.
Laura herself often approaches dressmaking as if she were designing stained-glass windows: wrapping gowns in sheer fabrics, framing them with sharp contours, or layering them like shifting panes of light. The dialogue between textile and glass has become central to the brand’s identity—fashion infused with translucence, reflection, and sculptural form.
Creatively, she is drawn to contrasts: sculptural silhouettes balanced with minimalism, transparency, fragility tempered by durability. Her collections are not about fleeting trends but about shaping forms that feel alive connected to history yet open to the future.
Philosophy of Design
She carefully sources fabrics, working directly with Italian factories, communicating with their owners, and ensuring that the textiles carry proper certifications. She avoids resellers, preferring materials with a traceable history and an authentic story. “I am deeply committed to using natural and high-quality materials—silk, wool, linen, cotton—alongside recycled textiles or degradable synthetics,” she explains. “A well-made garment is not seasonal—it can be worn for years, even decades.”
Over the years, Laura has created more than thirty fashion collections, countless evening gowns and dressed many personalities from the worlds of music, theatre and public life. Among those who have worn her creations are American model Nikki Gal, Kate Moss, British singer SuRie (Susanna Marie Cork), Australian actress Rebekah Behbahani and Rex Adams, the model and actress known from the movie Dune. Each dress has its own distinctive feature: sculptural shapes, elegant silhouettes and carefully selected fabrics. “Attention to detail is very important”, emphasizes Laura. “The garment may have classic shapes, but the details will convey its uniqueness—the signature of the Laura Daili brand.”
Her work and vision have also been recognized internationally, with publications and features in Vogue, Elle, L’Officiel, Harper’s Bazaar, Wienerin, and other leading fashion and lifestyle magazines—each highlighting her ability to fuse artistic expression with refined craftsmanship.
From a Laura Daili fashion show and designer Laura Daili pictured with her models.
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