DANIELA BENAIM: “THERE IS NO SINGLE DEFINITION OF HOME”

Creative director and stylist Daniela Benaim moved to London in 2018 to join CSM’s MA Fashion Image course. Having left behind family and friends in Venezuela, the concept of home weighed heavily on her mind, so much so that she dedicated her final project to exploring its complexities. ‘La Casa’ is a series of seven publications, connecting the dots between the home, the body, and the self: Body as Home, Home as a Metaphor of the Mind, Home as an Extension of the Self, Home as Prison, Home in the Exile, Homeland and Non Home. In light of coronavirus, Daniela is facing cancelled jobs and concerns over her income and immigration status, making the concept of home incredibly poignant. As we are all forced indoors for self-isolation, those of us who are fortunate enough to have stable homes are spending more time there than ever. Recent graduates may be returning to their parents’ homes, leaving their university city and questioning whether the place they grew up has a stronger pull than the place they carved out for themselves as adults. Here, Daniela looks back on her final project to find new meanings for an uncertain future.