The National - News

Feiruza pulls threads together

Fashion designer is inspired by her life’s journey, which began in Ethiopia and continues in the UAE with Finchitua, her clothing brand that can be seen on the streets of Dubai announcing her intention to break into the big time, Dana Moukhallat­i reports

- dmoukhalla­ti@thenationa­l.ae

‘ In Dubai you feel inspired every day, and I even adopted traditiona­l clothing and incorporat­ed them in my fashion line Feiruza Mudessir designer

DUBAI // Feiruza Mudessir’s striking and beautiful designs can be traced back to her childhood, spent in Ethiopia and India, with their bustling streets filled with colour. Her designs, under her own label Finchitua, are a dazzling blend of African-retro streetwear.

Feiruza, 34, was born in Ethiopia, grew up in India and for the past 13 years she has been living in Dubai, where she found the opportunit­y and inspiratio­n to launch her business. She is humble and shy. She wears her own creations and talks about designer clothes as part of a lifestyle that does not have to fall in line with brands and price tags commonly associated with “good fashion”.

“I can buy a T-shirt that is Dh30 and will make it my own,” she says. “I’m not into labels, and I’m not into brands.”

Feiruza came to the UAE after graduation to work at her uncle’s import-export business.

“After a while I wanted to start pursuing a career in fashion and started as a saleswoman at Mango,” she says.

“I continued my studies at the Centre for Executive Education in Knowledge Village and received a diploma in fashion.”

Living in the UAE, she was inspired by the local culture and by the people from many other nationalit­ies, their clothes and the opportunit­ies the country offered. “The UAE exposed me to a multicultu­ral and diverse sense of fashion,” she says.

“In Dubai you feel inspired every day, and I even adopted traditiona­l clothing and incorporat­ed them into my fashion line.

“I want my fashion line to reflect where I came from and the places I’ve been.”

With almost 7,000 followers on her Instagram and Facebook accounts, Feiruza says that most of her clients, about 80 per cent, are from the GCC.

“One of my most popular items is the bisht, a traditiona­l men’s cloak popular in the region, but they are made for women,” she says. “Women wear them over their clothes as a stylish item.

“I have a jacket called Mirchi Masala, which translates as ‘mixed spices’.

“It includes designs from Ethiopia, India and the UAE.”

Feiruza says she hopes to open her own online boutique and design more items for men.

“I would like to have a man’s collection and design a kandura – if anyone would dare wear it.”

She creates ballroom gowns to order and customers can reach her on social media. But for the full experience, people can see her collection every Friday at the Ripe Market in Zabeel Park.

“It’s not easy breaking into the fashion world and I all I know is that I want to do things my way,” Feiruza says.

Finchitua, which in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, means, “that girl with the gap”. “All the women in my family have a gap in their teeth and the name is very dear to me,” she says.

Feiruza says that her mother has been her inspiratio­n, despite them living apart for most of her life. “My mother was always working for us and I am inspired and I appreciate that.

 ?? Reem Mohammed / The National ?? Ethiopian fashion designer Feiruza Mudessir and her Dubai label Finchitua are big on strong colours, and they borrow heavily from African and Emirati traditions.
Reem Mohammed / The National Ethiopian fashion designer Feiruza Mudessir and her Dubai label Finchitua are big on strong colours, and they borrow heavily from African and Emirati traditions.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Arab Emirates