Vivian Moawad is a fashion designer who studied at the Istituto Marangoni in London as well as the London College of Fashion. She believes that the journey for fashion in Egypt is still beginning, and that she saw in London how fashion is created and marketed. She also wishes Egypt had colleges specialising in the science of fashion.
“Couture is not a goal in itself; the goal is for the design to have a touch of elegance for every woman individually; meaning that if soft colours are trendy, they might not reflect the personality of a certain lady. She could darken the colour, add details or change the lengths,” Moawad said. She added: “No two characters are ever identical.”
My collection, presented in Cairo’s Fashion Festival, makes use of multiple patterns to suit many tastes. Choosing a dress requires attention to accessories, make-up, shoes, and hair styling; all this together brings out the style and beauty of the dress.
“Style is not easy; it requires follow-up with the latest international designs. We are still at the beginning, but this science has existed for more than 100 years. There was a time when Egypt saw a boom in design and tailoring, but it was at the hands of foreigners living in Egypt,” she added.
“Now, we want to get into the fashion industry because it is met with great interest by the audience. We observe some foreign designers, especially Lebanese ones, beginning to pay attention to the Egyptian audience. I hope for a law that protects designs, because with the crowded market, there will certainly be some problems of counterfeiting and copying,” she continued.