Du 27 Au 30 Mai 2015
Et aussi Seyf Dean Laouiti pour sa marque Narciso Domingo Machiavelli.
Galerie Joyce Jusqu’au 16 juin.
Meet up with Salma Boudali
April 19, 2015
In full preparation for her Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Salma Boudali received us in her living room located at La Marsa and fully redecorated into a Fashion studio; a temple dedicated to the area of expertise of the Tunisian designer: moulding. Salma is a young mother that dedicates all of her work and collections to her son Zayed.
FWT: Who are you and what do you do?
SB: My name is Salma Boudali and I am a designer. I graduated from ESMOD Tunis in 2008 after what I worked by Amen Allah El May side for 8 years. A meaningful experience that allowed me to define my artistic identity. In 2013, I interned with Elie Saab in Paris. Back in Tunisia I launched my own studio and brand.
FWT: Why Fashion?
SB: Since I was kid I used to design my dolls’ outfits. I had the habit to thrift shop and completely reinvent my findings not only to dress my dolls but also create my own wardrobe.
Francis Hugh ©
FWT: Which themes do you pursue?
SB: My coming collection that will be showcased during the Fashion Week Tunis will be untitled « Landsacpe » in reference to the multiple international landscapes that inspired it. The collection will mainly be a reflection of my recent trip in south France. The target clients are cinema starlets as well as businesswomen looking for high range dresses to attend cocktail parties and receptions.
FWT: How do you work?
SB: I usually start with either sketching or moulding according to my moods and inspirations. Then, comes the creation of a prototype aiming to put into shape my ideas in order to allow a better visualisation and thus proceed to the necessary modifications. From there starts a work around the choice of the right materials. A hand made tonal work is present in all of my collections. I rarely use sewing machines anyways; all of my work is hand made. The prototype will then become a key piece that will guide my creation process. Most of the time I start creating my pieces straight on the mannequin. From there it starts progressively getting into shape while I draw my inspiration in women’s curves.
On top of my collection I create bespoke dresses. I offer my customers designs according to their personalities, their desires and the occasion it will be worn for. It is a guaranty for them to have a one of a kind piece matching the person they are.
FWT: Which part of your work do you enjoy doing the most?
SB: I take a great pleasure doing incrustation. I never use the materials as I buy them. I have to always add my personal touch and compose with the motifs.
FWT: How would you describe the Fashion creation in Tunisia?
SB: Designers stick to marketable designs, they aim for (financial) profit. In most of their works we don’t feel a real creation or innovation. They stay on a field that has already been visited and that they know vendor. They don’t have the courage to contribute to their designs with their personalities.
FWT: Where do you see your self in 5 years?
SB: In New York with my grand mother * giggles * I hope to have my own showroom. I can already picture it with an architecture drawing my name’s letters.
FWT: To which designer do you want to be compared?
SB: Azzedine Alaïa
FWT: What was the best advice someone ever gave you?
SB: Get involved with the Fashion Week Tunis! It is Amen Allah El May that pushed me to start. I was also lucky to have the support of my mother and my husband since the beginning and still today.
FWT: Which advice can you give to young Tunisian designers?
SB: Do not hesitate to show who you really are through your collections. Certainly you have to make profit but it shouldn’t affect your creativity.
Meet up with Braîm Svenska
April 19, 2015
CEO and creative director of Sid in Hampton, Braîm Svenska is a young Tunisian fashion designer with a style standing out from the usual. Inspired by anti-fashion movements he is challenging the more classical rules set by the local fashion industry while following the steps of international designers such as Rei Kawakubo.
FWT: Who are you and what do you do?
BS: Braîm Svenska, 24 years old. I am the founder and creative director of Sid in Hampton.
FWT: What is your educational background?
BS: I had my baccalaureate in informatics after what I studied Fashion design for 3 years at ESMode.
FWT: Which themes do you peruse?
BS: Since the beginning my universe was stereotyped. My creations, which are directly drawn from my works and musical universe, make of my creations pieces inspired of gothic art and underground trends. This fine but also surprising mix reminds of simplistic as well as anti-fashion movements that constitute my admiration since I started. The goal is to generate a certain feeling of a frightening softness among connoisseurs. This movement reaches its paroxysm at the moment it crosses the ideals of the literature with the violent writing of Antonin Artaud for example. It intends the poems and collections as melancholic than ideal of Baudelaire. It includes as well the songs and the piercing pain of the master Leo Ferré. And to top it all, I have in my sole intention to build a new world of modern fashion intimately mixed with a blend of old movements. This movement reflects my personality as accurately as possible. It is the movement of the future. Not to mention that I am a minimalist and I adhere to the less is more concept which means that with less details you can see things better!
FWT: Why fashion?
BS: To reach my goals, to be the person I always wanted to be, to be my parents’ and my family’s pride and mostly to have enough challenges. I would like to have a relaxed life once I retire but not for the moment.
FWT: How would you describe the evolution of your work through the time?
BS: It’s simple, an ascendant curve and I would never say the opposite.
FWT: Which part of your work do you enjoy doing the most?
BS: The development of ideas on paper.
FWT: Describe your most painful experience
BS: Well I have been through many tragedies but the one that marked me the most was the death of my grandfather. Also many deceptions lead me to the melancholy and the spleen whence the darkness you can perceive in my universe.
FWT: Through the history which collection was your favourite one ?
BS: SVICIOUS 14 and SPHYNX by Rick Owens
FWT: Describe an experience that inspired you
BS: Discover Leo Ferré!
FWT: What was the most embarrassing situation in which you found yourself?
BS: Nobody took my hand to guide me or help me, I was by myself with pen, my delusions and my ideas and it is thanks to that that I am today a strong person hard to reach and to impress.
FWT: Where do you want to be in 5 years?
BS: I don’t really have dreams; I only have goals to reach. They change over time and step by step
FWT: Name 3 designers you would like to be associated with
BS: Rick Owens, Junya Watanabe, Anne Demeulemeester
FWT: Which location in Tunisia inspires you the most?
BS: My house at Hammamet during the winter season
FWT: What was the best advice someone ever gave you?
BS: Keep the same style, be loyal to yourself and never give up, no matter what.
FWT: Which advice can give to young Tunisian designers?
BS: Patience, perseverance and above all not to fall into plagiarism
Meet up with Fatma Ben Sultan Abid
April 14, 2015
Still settling in her new fashion studio, Fatma Ben Sultane, owner and creative director of the brand SOLTANA, welcomed us in her dolly world loyal to her personality and designs. Flowers, the trademarks of the designer were everywhere matching her cheerful personality.
FWT: Who are you and what do you do?
FBS: My name is Fatma Ben Soltane and I am a fashion designer. I studied a master degree in finance and start up businesses at Nice University. Then I went to the U.S for six months in order to study English then came back to Tunis. I started working, mainly with cosmetics companies such as Fatales and M.A.C. My studies had nothing to do with fashion design but couture has always been a passion for me.
FWT: Why Fashion?
FBS: I would say that creativity is a family affair. I was raised in an artistic atmospher since my early age by my grandmother who had the artistic streak. Since I was 8 or 9 years old she used to make me create pearl necklaces and jewels. It can only be that, as my studies had nothing to do with designing. I learned how to design and sew by my self. My passion ended up taking over in my professional career.
FWT: Which themes do you persue?
FBS: I am very attracted by colours and volumes. I would describe the SOLTANA’s women as always beautiful and pretty. Its spirit is defined by class, feminism and a glipse of audacity.
I’m also attracted by the doll look. I like to represent women as young and innocent in her soul.
FWT: How do you work?
FBS: I don’t follow a specific process. I work with passion, with pleasure. I don’t put any pressure on myself and don’t set specific objectives. Whenever I feel that I am saturating I stop, I take my time, I think and then create my collection. I don’t feel the urge to create a collection every month or every week. I do not set any limits in time. It all depends on my inspirations. It also depends on the time as I a have a family to whom I dedicate a big part of my time.
FWT: How would you describe the evolution of your work through the time?
FBS: Slow but safe. I don’t feel that my style has changed. My clients always tell me that they recognize the SOLTANA touch, which I also actually perceive in my creations. It stands out from the usual.
FWT: Which part of your work do you enjoy doing the most?
FBS:
It depends on my inspiration… there are collections where I would prefer to look for the designs and for other collections it would be the fabrics that inspire me. sometimes I don’t have an exact idea of the piece I want to make but once I see the fabric I would then know what I want to do with it. Some other times it is the complete opposite. I have my sketches ready and know what the dresses will look like however I face some hard time trying to figure out which fabric will suit the best.
FWT: How would you describe designers’ perception among the Tunisian society?
FBS: there is a big evolution of the perception, and it is a very good thing !! I believe that Fashion has its place in our country. We have a lot of very talented designers that deserve to be known. Personnaly, I am proud to say that I am a tunisian fashion designer.
FWT: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
FBS: I am not the kind of person who would rush things, I like to do things one step at a time. I started from scratch two years ago .Now I have a fashion studio and trademark that define me. Last year I wanted to join to the Tunisian Fashion Week ,now I hopefully will participate in the 2015 edition. My near futur goals are first to open my own boutique, which I hope I will achieve soon and then, why not showcase some designs abroad, open a SOLTANA boutique abroad. However, I do not wish to fall into mass production. I like to take pleasure designing the dress and then enjoy seeing it worn.
FWT: Which designers do you want to be associated to?
FBS: A brand that I love and that inspires me a lot is Dolce & Gabbana.
Otherwise, regarding designers I consider Elie Saab as a very talented and unique designer.
FWT: What is the best advice somebody gave you?
FBS: People didn’t give me a lot of advices in general. The only thing that gave me confidence is seeing my creations appeal to my entourage.
FWT: What is the best advice you can give to young Tunisian designers?
FBS: To simply do what they love. For me it is very important to do what I love. I consider it the key to success.
