Nablus - "Jerusalem" dot com - Rawan Al-Asaad - The outward appearance is the first impression that we leave on others, which reflects our personality, and because people always tend to everything that is beautiful in this life, so we find most of us care about our clothes and love to be unique in them, and under The rapidly changing and evolving world of fashion featured many international designers whose beginnings were simple, but persistence made their dreams come true.

Although the field of fashion design is considered fresh in Palestine, there are many inspiring stories that make their way to reach the world one day. And Azza Arafat was able to write a success plan for herself five years ago, defying all difficulties, to become a brilliant name in the field of fashion design.

passion beginnings,

Despite the smallness of her project and its simple start with limited capabilities, and despite her slow steps, she had boundless energy and ambition within her to reach her dream. Azza says: I am a mother of three children, two boys and one girl. The passion for design haunted me since my early childhood, as I used to make clothes for my toys from everything available in the house, and imagine all the details. I wished that my passion would lead me to study fashion design and catch up with this dream early, but my parents refused my studies. For fashion design, because the view of this specialty in society meant that I was a seamstress, so this concept of design was not very common.

And she continued: Since I was six years old, I started designing clothes for my toys, at first it was from milk cartons to take advantage of the silver color inside, so I cut them and installed them using a piston, and after that I used to prepare my own designs and modify my clothes, and even when I got married I was learning via YouTube and making light pieces I design it for me, and I also make designs for the house as decorations, whether from pillows, bed covers, tables, etc. The passion for design never left me, and I kept working on it and following on YouTube and trying to apply.

The starting point ,,

The starting point in a project outfit, whatever it is, remains the most difficult and important step because work and diligence will push its wheel to turn and fulfill the wishes, and this is the case with Azza, who talks about the starting point, saying: After I gave birth to the twins, I devoted all my time to my children, and here I made the decision to start with my dream and I was able to convince my husband to study design Fashion, and indeed, I was able to finish my diploma in fashion design, and I became proficient and experienced in what I love, and I had to start my first step in my project even though I am a wife and mother of three children and I have many responsibilities, but I was able to start my first step and I opened my own shop and called it "Azza Fashion" to start By design.

And she continued: Nothing comes easily and on a plate of gold to reach success. We have to make a lot of efforts and fatigue, but the taste of success is very beautiful. I started designing for myself and my daughter, and I remember that the first design I made was a dress for the wedding ceremony, and it was made of velvet fabric embroidered with Palestinian embroidery, and then I started designing. This wide world, despite the hardships in it, is very enjoyable. I do not feel tired while I draw the designs, cut them and implement them on the fabric to reach the final piece and produce them professionally and with high quality. Formal and casual clothes, but my favorite part remains designing party clothes, despite its tiringness, but it is closest to my heart.

difficulties,,

In every path there are pitfalls and difficulties, whoever overcomes them reaches the summit. And Azza was able to overcome the difficulties she faced, as she said: We cannot reap the fruits without working hard in planting them, taking care of them, and caring for them, as well as the ideas that are born within us that we must nurture and work to achieve them on the ground, no matter how difficult the difficulties, and thank God I was able to overcome all the obstacles that I faced, which were Various, both in terms of raw materials and fabrics that are not always available, it is difficult to find a lot of the fabrics that I need and the costs necessary to implement my design, and I was able to overcome this problem by purchasing fabrics from Jordan and Turkey. The world of fabrics is a wide sea and always contains new and varied, and the designer must keep pace with this world first, and because the available fabrics in the country are limited, this obstacle had to be overcome. In addition to that, the biggest problem was that people did not understand the difference between a fashion designer and a tailor, and with time the idea became more clear and people became more open in the light of social media and the age of technology. Its price, but with time they became aware of the value of my designs, their quality and perfection, and accepted them.
And she added: Perhaps it was not the little time that I needed to prove myself in the field of my work and my project, but exactly a year and a half ago, I can say that I started reaping the fruits of my labor and making a profit from my project, just as I went through, like any person, many psychological pitfalls and harassment when someone questions the outcome of my work and my mastery of it before To start designing, and I was facing a lot of exhaustion and fatigue, especially in the first years, so I thought of stopping work and devoting myself to my tasks with my family, especially since coordinating between work requires time, effort and focus in addition to the tasks and duties of the house and its duties and taking care of my children is exhausting, but I overcame all that and decided to persevere to achieve my dream And I was able to become a well-known name that everyone from the West Bank and the occupied interior intended for.

development and follow-up

The secret of excellence is development and non-stop, this is how Azza began her speech, and she continued: One of the most important secrets of success is not to stop at a certain level of learning, and to always follow everything new, especially since the world of fashion is renewable and fast and it is an applied art that works to create creative touches . So I attended many courses in different countries and with well-known designers. During the Corona period, I took many online courses to renew, develop, and add to my skills and passion. I also always keep pace with international fashion lines to make my own designs, and I love designer Elie Saab very much and take a lot of inspiration from him.

And she continued: I am a wife and a mother, and I am always keen to provide enough time for my family and home, and what helped me reach my goal is hard work, as this factor must eventually lead to success, and I never lose hope, and in addition to that, success factors for For me is determination, motivation from family and friends, optimism and positivity, and this is what made my passion translate into reality with designs and creations to make my way in the world of fashion.

ambitious ,,

Azza, who aspires to emulate her international designs, and to participate in fashion shows outside Palestine, will be her next step with her own brand bearing her name. She also hopes to train a group of ambitious girls to work with her side by side as one family in this field to take her steps forward, especially since she alone works Its project from the ground up.

The return of the eighties

When asked about the fashion that dominates fashion shows, she said: This year brings a return to the fashion of the eighties, with the introduction of modern touches to it, such as oversized coats, leather jackets, broad shoulders, and others. We will also see metallic fabrics and golden colors in occasion dresses, as well as metallic colors such as silver, copper, and others that are very shiny mixed with multiple colors.

And I sent a message to every woman, saying: Without hesitation, do what you love, and wherever your passion is, do not hesitate for a moment, go ahead and you will succeed. There is no specific age to achieve the goal and ambition, and your will and determination will push you to reach your dream, and nothing is impossible.