From Baz Luhrmann to Her Own Studio: The Making of a Textile Designer | Silvana Azzi Heras

From Moulin Rouge to House of Heras: Design, Heritage & Creative Courage Silvana Azzi Heras is the founder of House of Heras, a Sydney-based textile and interior design studio known for its maximalist, emotionally rich patterns rooted in folklore, flora, and cultural memory. Born in Lebanon and raised in Australia from the age of two, Silvana was the youngest of five in a family of doctors, surgeons, engineers, and academics — the black sheep, as she calls herself, but the kind that glimmers in the light. Before founding her studio, she spent over a decade as head designer at Bazmark, the creative company of Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, working across Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, Australia, La Bohème on Broadway, and The Get Down for Netflix, designing everything from film titles and posters to hotel rugs for the Faena in New York. This is a conversation about what it takes to follow your instincts when the world expects something safer from you. In this episode, we explore: Growing up Lebanese-Australian: arriving in Sydney at age two, navigating identity, and returning to Beirut at 35 to understand her parents' resilience Being the 'black sheep' youngest of five — how family pressure shaped the long road to design Starting with a Bachelor of Welfare Studies, meeting her husband there, and going back to university as a mature-age student to study design The phone call that changed everything: how a university lecturer put her name forward for Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin's studio Life inside Bazmark — researching Moulin Rouge! in Paris, drinking absinthe, walking the streets, and building a world from scratch The Gatsby baby — her water breaking on the last day of filming The Great Gatsby Going to Cannes twice and the Oscars twice, including helping Catherine Martin dress Beyonce Designing over 200 rugs for the Faena Hotel New York, in collaboration with Peter Mikic Founding House of Heras — filling a gap for maximalist, culturally rich design in a minimalist market Pre-visualisation as a design practice, the art of knowing when to stop, and why there are no shortcuts Why this conversation matters In a design world that often rewards restraint and minimalism, Silvana Azzi Heras is doing something rarer: making work that holds memory, carries culture, and takes emotional risks. Her story is also a reminder that the creative path is rarely linear. About the guest Silvana Azzi Heras is the founder and creative director of House of Heras, a Sydney-based design studio specialising in textiles, rugs, wallpaper, and interior design. She spent over a decade as head designer at Bazmark, the production company of Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, working across some of the most visually ambitious films and productions of the past two decades. Her textile collections are stocked internationally and she has designed for the Faena Hotel New York, Designer Rugs, Milton & King, and CB2 in the United States. House of Heras is expanding into commercial interior design, and a new Axminster rug collection is due for release later in 2026. If this episode resonated, please like, subscribe and share. YouTube Chapters 00:00 Introduction, Silvana Azzi Heras + the silk thread that runs through it all 02:00 Arriving in Australia: growing up Lebanese-Australian and the ELS classes 03:30 Returning to Beirut at 35, understanding resilience and family 04:00 The youngest of five: a family of doctors, surgeons, + engineers 05:30 Choosing welfare studies and the safe path, + going back to design 06:30 Studying design as a mature-age student, + meeting her husband 08:00 The call from university: working at Vogue + the phone that changed everything 09:00 Arriving at Bazmark, Catherine Martin, Baz Luhrmann + Strictly Ballroom: The Musical 10:30 Working on Moulin Rouge! Paris, absinthe, + the world they built 15:30 La Boheme on Broadway, The Great Gatsby, and living in New York. 18:30 The Gatsby baby, her water breaking on the final day of filming 19:30 The Get Down for Netflix and knowing it was time to leave Bazmark 21:00 Posting her first painting: imposter syndrome and just starting 22:30 Founding House of Heras, filling the gap for maximalist, culturally rich design 25:30 Designing the Faena Hotel New York, 200 rugs, Peter Mikic, + a Sydney Morning Herald front page 28:00 The future of House of Heras: interiors, CB2, Milton & King, + a new Axminster range 32:00 The design process: pre-visualisation, the squint of the eye, and knowing when to stop 34:00 The biggest lesson from Bazmark: endurance, attention to detail, no shortcuts 38:00 What grounds her: family dinners, Saturday parents, the dog. 40:00 Cannes twice, the Oscars twice, and dressing Beyonce 43:00 The moment she knew it was time to lead her own vision 44:00 Backing yourself, imposter syndrome, and starting small 45:30 What she would whisper to her younger self: take more risks 46:00 What does build beautiful mean? Create with intention and meaning