Meet Barbara Casasola, the Brazilian designer dressing The Duchess of Cambridge and Alicia Vikander

Just as Barbara Casasola???s native Brazil is having a moment in the global spotlight as it hosts the Summer Olympics, so Barbara herself ??? who has been showing at London Fashion Week since 2013- has seen her own star rise considerably lately.In the past year, she???s found a firm fan in Alicia Vikander who has worn a series of Casasola looks out-and-about during her film promotion activities.And in July, the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at an awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum wearing a cream, off-shoulder dress designed by Casasola which was met with a rapturous reception, hailed as a prime example of the more daring approach to fashion which Kate has begun to embrace.

Barbara herself is impeccably chic in an unfussy, modern way which may be one of her label???s best advertisements.She can be spotted backstage at her shows- which are often held in pristine modern art galleries- dressed in sleek tailoring and cashmere in muted hues, always speaking softly of her ???sensual??? vision.Casasola???s collections could be succinctly summed up as minimalist, but that would be to do a disservice to the careful detailing and design quirks which go into her work.

Take that dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge.Yes, it was subtly sexyand supremely summery but behind its initial impact is a deeper meaning.???I am interested in raising awareness about Brazilian aboriginal tribes in any way that I can???Casasola explains.???This piece was inspired by body painting designs of the Kayapo, a tribe in the Amazon basin.You can see an image of it that I posted on Instagram some time ago.It was developed and made in Italy with knitwear specialists.It took some time to get the right yarn mix and gauge to match the pattern and silhouette.In the end, we used a transparent yarn for the pinstripes in order to get the right result.???

On the subject of the Duchess herself, Casasola is characteristically discreet, saying simply; ???I am very honoured that the Duchess of Cambridge wore the dress.???

Duchess of Cambridge: every outfit ever

Although Casasola grew up in Brazil, she has been living in Europe for many years.After a foundation course in Fashion Design at London???s Central Saint Martin???s and a degree at Milan???s Istituto Marangoni, she worked at Roberto Cavalli and consulted for labels such as Lanvin before beginning her own business.Despite her international outlook, Brazil remains a constant source of inspiration .???It???s difficult to unpick these things, but nature???s definitely a big part of growing up in Brazil???Casasola reflects, ???you can???t really shut yourself away from it.Even if you live in a big city, it always has a strong presence.Nature???s also a great leveler.I see that reflected in Brazilian art and architecture, which has also influenced me.I???ve been increasingly drawn back to basics; toward simplicity, clean lines and craftsmanship.???

Say ???Brazilian style??? and you might think miniscule bikinis, va-va voom dresses and carnival-esque colours but Casasola offers a more nuanced interpretation; ???For me Brazilian style is less a sartorial statement and more about a certain attitude.It???s difficult for me to put words to it, but Brazilian music communicates it really well.It???s pared-back and thoughtful but also very much alive, confident and sensual.???

Casasola has clocked up an impressively elegant roster of VIPs wearing her designs, from Solange Knowles in abronze pleated skirt to Gwyneth Paltrow in a refined black culotte jumpsuit.Alicia Vikander-whose stylist Victoria Sekrier has encouraged the actress to experiment with under-the-radar labels like Casasola???s as well as big designer names- has also become a fan.Most recently she opted for a crisp white jumpsuit with black piping to appear on ???Good Morning America??? but a magenta pink silk crop top with matching wide cropped trousers and a maroon version of the dress worn by Kate have also made it into the Oscar-winning actress"swardrobe.Casasola and Vikander have bonded over the choosing looks."Sometimes you meet people and get an immediate sense that they"re special.Alicia"s one of those people,???Casasola says, ???she"s very real, open and true to herself.I think that reflects in her style.It"s a joy to dress her.???

???I don???t want to sound like it???s not thought through, but I really just design from a gut feeling???Casasola says of the elegant approach which has captivated so many of the world???s most discerningly stylish women.???On the surface, it???s difficult to box-in the women that get attracted to what I do because of their diversity in terms of age and background.But they do share a certain attitude about life and having meaningful experiences.???

Alicia Vikander best looksThree beautiful Barbara Casasola pieces to buy now

Pleated black dress, ??979.14, Barbara Casasola

Grey blazer, ??445, Barbara Casasola

White pleated skirt, ??595.47, Barbara Casasola