Interview with Abeer Al Otabia founder of Semsem

CAIRO – 19 July 2017: Abeer Al Otaiba, wanting to reflect her lifestyle through her own designs, wanted created the luxury brand “Semsem” that targets adult women and girls’ ages 3 to 12 years old.

Al Otaiba was raised in Alexandria, Egypt before moving to Dubai to build her career in engineering. She now lives in the United States where her fashion label Semsem is based.

Egypt today spoke with Abeer for an in-depth look into her passion for fashion philanthropic activities. She notes that her interest in fashion started at an early age, "For as long as I can remember, I have always loved expressing myself through fashion! Every time my parents would go to Europe and come back with clothes, I would alter everything, adding my own personal touch."

The freedom provided by fashion helped Al Otaiba make the switch from being an engineer to a fashion designer.

"Engineering offered the discipline that has allowed me to grow in fashion. There is a fine dance between restraint and creative freedom in both areas. I am proud of the technical background that engineering offered me—but I am passionate about fashion and excited to be a part of the landscape."

Her mission statement for her brand is to "support and invest in women’s and children’s well-being around the world."

A desire to increase a connection with her daughter led her to create a clothing line for the younger audience. The daughter-mother line shared complementary elements and fabrics. Using the nickname of her daughter, Semsem, it is clear that Al Otaiba’s daughter was the true inspiration behind the brand.

Part of Semsem’s mission statement is to support organizations dedicated to gender equality, literacy, health, legal awareness, and education among women and children across the globe.

Therefore, Semsem chooses a different charity every season that provokes the same ideologies.

"Through our website and social media campaigns, we invite our followers to get involved by submitting charities that inspire them for consideration. Any charity that empowers women and protects children is very close to my heart and most recently we have partnered with Every Mother Counts, Women for Women International, and The Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women in Egypt," adds Al Otaiba.

For the full interview with Al Otaiba, look out for the print edition of Egypt Today, on newsstands August 1.