We’ve fallen in love with Alazzouni’s feminine fashions when we first set eyes on her collections last spring, highlighted by floaty textures, delicate shapes, and soft cuts that grace the wearer with understated elegance. For Razan Alazzouni, pursuing a career path as a fashion designer comes from a deeply rooted passion for the wonderful world of fashion, yet considering art as a formal higher education comes as a natural decision, given her upbringing amidst a family of creative minds consumed with the world of art. Applying to The School of Museum of Fine Arts and TUFTS University in Boston unveiled a period of experimentation with different visual mediums, as she concentrated on sculpture, screen-printing, and papermaking, yet Alazzouni’s affair with fashion ardently consumed her artistic path, leading her to develop her first clothing line upon graduating, rather than host her first art show.
One might consider her decision a diversion, yet this mélange between artistic inspiration and fashion resulted in the defining quality of design that comes across each item produced under the Alazzouni vision—a studied, structured, and naturally sculpted, vision of femininity.
Starting small, Alazzouni considers her family’s unlimited support a key to her success. In a past interview with prominent fashion blogger (and a bazaar fashionality, of course!), Confasions from Kuwait, Alazzouni recounts her start, “I started small, working out of my house. Using and abusing my family’s artistic talents, I employed my younger sister Raya as my graphic designer, my sister Salwa as my business manager, my brother Suleiman as my fashion photographer, and doubling myself as the designer and model until my company grew and gained some recognition in the Middle East.” Today, the Alazzouni name fashionably resounds with the likes of celebrity fashionistas from East to West, including Emma Roberts, Whitney Port, Paris Hilton, and many more. Such success, however, could only be contributed to that defining quality of structured feminine charm, a universal sense of style shared by women all over, as Alazzouni derives most of her inspiration from women themselves and their natural poise.
For the autumn/winter season, Alazzouni aims to grace your style in an elegant light that is both stylish and playful, exemplified by incorporating luxurious textiles and the delicate embroidery of fabrics such as chiffons, silks, and organza, to finally allude to your natural feminine charm. If you can’t wait till Spring Summer 2013, we highly recommend that you rush to the charitable event hosted by Pretty Little Things, featuring renowned American handbag designer Judith Leiber, who has teamed up with Alazzouni’s label, Threads by Razan Alazzouni, to produce an exclusive collection of clothing and bags to benefit children’s charities in the region.
Does fashion ‘make’ the person or does the person ‘make’ fashion?
The person definitely makes Fashion. Every one has their own sense of style and the way they put together articles of clothing and accessories them is what makes fashion. I think fashion is making a statement and showing your personality. It’s not something that can be dictated, it’s definitely something you build up as an individual.
How would you describe your style?
I think my style leans more towards classical romantic, with a little bit of an edge.
How do you get inspiration for your style?
My mood usually inspires my style. Although everything around me from art, the weather, to location, influences my mood.
What does it take to become a style innovator?
It takes creativity and vision to become a style innovator.
What’s exciting right now in fashion?
I think bold colors and textured fabric. The mix of both is very exciting!
Who or what has been your greatest fashion influence?
My mother has been my greatest fashion influence. She taught me that simplicity in elegance is the most important thing in fashion.
Who are your favorite emerging designers, and what is it that you love about them?
Corrado De Biase is a Parisian brand with amazing taste; she uses prints and bold fabrics to create amazing works of wearable art.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Dressing celebrities in Hollywood and launching our second line threads by Razan Alazzouni in the Middle East.
Every fashionality has as a style obsession, what’s yours?
Pearls and embroidery, I am beyond obsessed with embroidery.
Do you follow any fashion blogs? If so, what are they and which would you recommend?
I follow Confashions from Kuwait and The overdressed. I would recommend them both for their exquisite style and diversity.
What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that people wore more often?
The pencil skirt; I think it is the one item of clothing that every lady must have in her closet. You can dress it up and play around with it.
To be stylish is to be fashionable. True or False and why?
False. Style is eternal, fashion changes with the tide.
Razan Alazzouni’s main line is sold at Edge boutique in Burj Jassim. As for the sub line, Threads by Razan Alazzouni, it can be found in Boutique N, also localted at Burj Jassim. For more information, visit razanalazzouni.com.
