A wallflower is a southern European plant that blooms in the early spring. Its yellow and dark shades of red make it beautifully and subtly blend with nature’s green landscape. With that said, in each gathering a wallflower commonly falls back to the corners of the room─a person who is too shy to standout or draw strong attention, so he or she prefers to silently blend in.
For the Spring/Summer Season 2016 (SS16), fashion designer Norine Farah decided to shed light on that particular wallflower rather than on the star of the party. Her new collection is both dreamy and romantic, and fully dedicated to the shy woman who deserves to elegantly standout.
(Photo Handout)
The designer came across the collection’s main fabric more than a year ago. The Valentino-produced pattern captured Farah and remained at the back of her mind despite her ongoing parade of seasonal collections.
“It was love at first sight. I completely fell in love with the fabric and I instantly turned it into a dress. Yet, I could not build a whole collection around it. It was not the right time then,” Farah said.
According to the designer, the pattern is both flowing and feminine, making it a perfect match for the current summer season. The 18-piece collection represents a simple and modern selection of garments that could be worn anywhere, from a morning wedding to a late dinner on the beach.
“I believe this collection is soft and pretty. Yet, it also has a daring aspect. I designed this collection for the shy girl who wants to step outside her box, but cannot change her nature overnight,” said Farah.
This collection is a continuation of Farah’s constant attempts to push the envelope and create non-traditional fashion that the masses may not necessarily prefer right away. The designer has previously gone the extra mile with a collection of couture swimsuits, as well as leather summer dresses. Nonetheless, she believes that this is one of her biggest risks until today.
“The fabric is very soft and elegantly simple, which might not appeal to the local market. Egyptians normally appreciate heavy embroidery, detailed fabrics and lace. However, I am willing to take the risk and try something new,” Farah stated.
She added: “I want to open the market’s eyes to new concepts, even if this means that the collection may not fly off the shelves.”
Even though the designer has always been labeled as daring, Farah admits that she was truly reluctant at the beginning of her career, as she feared trying new concepts that might affect her sales. However, after a couple of successful years in the fashion industry, Farah has managed to build a base of clients who have put their trust in her choices.
“I am currently establishing my identity. Nevertheless, I still try to introduce something different with each collection. A new angle or interpretation of my growing personality in design,” said Farah.
The collection was captured through Louay Nasser’s lens in none other than Fayoum governorate. The photoshoot was styled by Yosephine Melfi, featuring Clara Berry and Marine Barbier. “Louay wanted to add a rough and edgy aspect to the photoshoot. He wanted a venue with evident structure in order to represent geometrical shapes as opposed to the flowing dresses,” the designer explained.
One of the dresses has already been spotted on actress Dina El-Sherbeny during an event a few weeks ago. El-Sherbeny is one of the country’s rising stars and a constant supporter of Farah’s designs.
“I have known Dina since we were 16. She has recently become my favourite client in the whole world because she completely trusts my choices. She usually calls ahead of her public appearances, explains the event’s details, and leaves the rest to me,” Farah stated.
