What does fashion mean to you?
For me fashion is a tool to express my true self. It is a way to let one’s inner beauty shine. I don’t like fashion that dictates style I prefer to create styles that help people to express their own identity, and that is the part that interests me most as a designer. Nothing is more glamorous than women who are able to convey their inner beauty with self-confidence through style. The way we dress tells a lot about how we feel about ourselves and how we want other people to view us. Fashion has always been my way to share my creativity, ideas, values and ethics with the world around me.
Does designing only need a talent or education too?
Talent is something that can’t be learned. It comes naturally. But in order to develop your talent and express your creativity with successful and functional designs you need to learn a lot of essential skills that only come through education. But that doesn’t mean that talent and education alone are enough. A designer's job is to be constantly learning, adapting and developing a better understanding of his surrounding environment, political, economical, cultural, etc. Successful designers should be able to cater their artistic talent and skills to the needs of their intended audience.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I have always dreamed since I was a little kid to be a fashion designer. It was my passion that drove me to change my career after graduation from fine arts interior design to study fashion design. I have always wondered why with all this artistic heritage and cultural blends we don’t have Egyptian fashion designers. I wanted to create a modern, 100% Egyptian fashion brand that is able to compete at international fashion standards. The fashion industry in Egypt has a lot of potential, and it is the responsibility of designers to help upgrade it in order to enhance our economy.
What obstacles did you face then?
As a small business entrepreneur I had a lot of problems. The three major problems we faced were, first changing the mindset of the Egyptian fashion consumer, who was mainly overwhelmed by imported fashion and did not trust Egyptian products. Second was creating a model for quality and finishing standards for our products that is similar to imported brands, despite the lack of proper materials and accessories. Third was trying to find qualified workers and craftsmen who would meet our quality standard and help develop it.
How and when exactly did you start then?
Well, we were pioneers in the fashion sector, starting back in 1999 when we opened our first shop. At first we started out by displaying our products at retailers but soon discovered we have to control the whole scenario to be able to apply our concept.
Do you prefer sketching designs or actually constructing them?
Sketching is the fundamental of every design. It is very important to be able to sketch your initial ideas and concepts by your own hand. But for the idea to take shape it must be translated from imagination into a constructed sample that can be seen, touched, evaluated, improved and developed. Sketching is a tool to express ideas; constructing samples is like giving birth to your design. An unconstructed sketch is just a dream.
How would you define your city’s fashion?
The fashion scene in Cairo is growing day after day. The consumers are becoming very well exposed to international trends, especially after the introduction of international fashion brands in the market. Social media is booming, and local designers now have a new, cheaper, faster 
platform to be spotted and become famous. This exposure helped to create a new generation of Egyptian fashionistas and fashion bloggers who are capable of driving a new modern edgy Egyptian fashion style that is unique and individual.
What irritates you the most in this field?
What irritates me most now in this field is the lack of professionalism. Unfortunately, a lot of unexperienced individuals are showing up in all sectors of the fashion industry lately. I think there has to be proper education in various fashion specializations so that people would be able to discover their real passion and go for it. Having a passion for fashion doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a designer. There are millions of other interesting jobs in the fashion field that needs specialization, such as stylists, illustrators, personal shoppers, bloggers, visual merchandisers, etc. I think fashion centers and schools in Egypt need to create this specialization.
What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?
I remember that was long ago when I was still at college. Vests were big at that time and I was crazy about them, so I designed and sewed one myself. It was made of suede with long fringes and lots of stitching details, kind of Bohemian style inspiration.
Your advice for the new and young generation…
My advice to the new generation is to make sure they gain all the skills they have to learn through education, and then gain work experience for at least two years before they start their own business. There is a lot more to know than just design skills: They need a business background to understand about sales and marketing, they need to understand about production planning, production development, sourcing raw materials, sampling and proper fitting. There are many aspects involved in running your own line. You have to have the passion to make it because it needs a lot of hard work and effort. You have to live, breath and dream fashion. et
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