In 2003, shortly after graduating from the School of Fashion at
Parsons School of Design, Buhai and her Parsons classmate Lisa Mayock launched Vena Cava with a loan of $5000. Both were working at vintage clothing stores at the time, and initially ran the business out of their Brooklyn apartments. Known for its eclectic style inspired by references ranging from early
Hollywood to
Biba, as well as for its hand-drawn prints, Vena Cava developed a cult following and became strongly associated with the independent New York fashion scene. The line was eventually carried by 120 stores internationally. In 2008, Vena Cava was awarded runner-up honors from the
CFDA/
Vogue Fashion Fund. In 2015, Buhai launched her namesake jewelry line, known for its contemporary interpretations of
sterling silver modernist jewelry, as well as seasonal collections incorporating
gold and
semi-precious stones. The collections also include hair accessories. Sophie Buhai is stocked by major retailers worldwide including
Matches Fashion,
Net-A-Porter,
Dover Street Market,
SSENSE,
Moda Operandi, and
Mytheresa, as well as art and design institutions including the
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Buhai's pieces are handmade by artisans in Los Angeles. The company's sustainability efforts include: utilizing recycled sterling silver and other materials sourced with an emphasis on environmental and social responsibility; a focus on local production; waste and carbon-footprint reduction efforts throughout the supply chain; and producing pieces primarily
made to order. From 2015 to 2017, Buhai also designed jewelry collections for the French fashion house Lemaire. == Early life and family ==