Surrounded by a tightknit family, trusted partners, and skilled artisans, Shahira Lasheen hunches her back in concentration and moves her hand freely over the blank papers scattered across her working space.
While other designers might primarily focus on creating aesthetically beautiful clothes, Lasheen would rather unfold stories. An avid narrator, her old soul is often attracted to tales of royal tenor and graceful victories.
Even though her sources of inspiration are often diverse and unexpected, Lasheen is an advocate of unwavering family ties and royal supremacy. Therefore, it is no surprise that she chose to weave her newest collection around the gracious sun.
Lasheen’s SS19 collection is a wearable depiction of the star at the centre of the solar system. “Dieu De La Vie” turns the almighty sun into a heroin that utilises hand embroidery and dainty fabrics to tell her own story and express its leadership.
According to the designer, she was charmed by the power of the sun and naturally found herself delving into and developing the theme.
Instead of following the same creative process that other designers may often take, Lasheen decided to study all aspects of her source of inspiration.
Although this is what dictated her vision, Lasheen still managed to remain loyal to her signature silhouettes and materials.
“You will notice that a lot of the shapes and cuts are synonymous with our brand and previous collections,” she said.
Known for previously depending on literary and scientific sources of inspiration, Lasheen stuck with that as a way to interpret the grand star.
According to the designer, she analysed mathematical equations, ancient symbols, and astrological facts before sketching her couture creations.
“A lot of research went into how to best represent the theme of the sun aside from aesthetically,” said the designer with a confident smile.
Over the course of six months, Lasheen managed to turn her faraway muse into a series of couture dresses and ensembles. Varying between the warm shades of red, orange, and yellow, the dresses address strong women, who are notorious for being multitaskers, caregivers, and resolute fighters.
With the help of her team of eloquent embroiders, seamstresses, and artisans, Lasheen expressed the meeting points between the sun and her leading ladies through articulate patterns and thought-through cuts.
The designer explained “I relied on our highly-skilled team to support my vision and they tirelessly worked on the hand-embellished detailing and embroidery to bring this collection to life.”
While she turned the warmth and tenderness of the sun into soft layers of tulle, she also captured its grandeur through hand-embroidered portraits of her muse. This was all accompanied with a handful of stars and planets.
As for the silhouettes, the designer was attracted to the currently-trending trench coats and tailored suits.
Wanting to stick by current trends but also put her touch, Lasheen chose to execute these styles according to her own methods. While few of her dresses embrace the sharp cut of the trench coat, a number of ensembles champion classic tailoring and wide-legged trousers.
Furthermore, each neckline managed to focus on a different aspect of the sun and its iconic characteristics. For instance, a few are decorated with pleats as an ode to sunrays and others are embellished with ancient symbols.
“I would say that our main challenge was finishing this collection in time as the details are so intricate,” shared Lasheen.
With each of her dresses requiring hundreds of hours to ensure quality and intricacy, Lasheen leads a talented team that has become a family. Her own sister and brother are always right next to her at every step as the creative director and business developer of the fashion house.
“We have a great flow at the atelier and Shahira Lasheen is a family business, so it is a healthy environment to work in and accomplish the impossible.”
After establishing a strong base of powerful, sophisticated, and fashion-conscious women as her loyal clients, the designer is currently focused on crossing borders. According to her, this particular collection is a testament of the brand’s ability to take its righteous place on the global stage.
“We have been contacted by few major players in the international industry, therefore, we are very excited for what this means for our brand. We look forward to showcasing the best of Shahira Lasheen to the world,” shared Lasheen, from her atelier in the heart of Cairo, Egypt.
