After their raving success at last month’s Pretty Little Things, Sara Al-Ajroush and Serene Xefos talk more about fashion, style and their most wanted pieces from their showroom of all things lovely, Trickponi.
Does fashion ‘make’ the person or does the person ‘make’ fashion?
The individual makes fashion. Fashion is all about attitude and a sense of confidence in ones personal style. It’s impressive when you have a person that can put together a look effortlessly and make it work. There have been countless times that we’ve found pieces in boutiques that we would never be caught dead in…But then you see someone wearing it with their unique twist, style, and charm; they amazingly make it work!
How would you describe your style?
As Coco Chanel once said: “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”
How do you get inspiration for your style?
People-watching is like hunting for eye candy! We get the greatest inspiration walking the streets of New York & London as well as checking out fashion events in Riyadh and Jeddah. AND lets not forget to mention the sense of style and fashion embedded in Kuwait – The individuality that the fashionistas of these cities embody is the most exciting source of inspiration.
What does it take to become a style innovator?
It takes vision…a deep understanding of and passion for form, fabric, color and texture.
What’s exciting right now in fashion?
In terms of trends: menswear for women, bold patterns, and the extremes of super-structured garments as well as the return of floral, feminine, and flowy.
The rise of independent designers, that’s what makes our job so exciting – we are always on the hunt and lookout for new talent to represent!
Who or what has been your greatest fashion influence?
We both love music – as cheesy as it sounds, music moves us. When we first launched our Facebook page in May 2012, we were posting YouTube songs that were different and edgy; videos that had style and a certain crazy fashion edge to them. We believe that Fashion coupled with music is a beautiful thing.
Examples of the songs we posted are: ‘Bizness’ by tune- yards, ‘Settle down’ by Kimbra, and ‘i love it’ by Icona pop – and that’s just to name a few.
Who are your favorite emerging designers, and what is it that you love about them?
Well, since we’re a fashion showroom representing emerging designers we would like to shed light on the designers we represent. Shosh New York and L’atelier Nawbar are two brands we simply fell in love with.
What we love about Shosh New York is this flowy feminine quality it embodies. As well as the fabrics used like cupro, linens, organic cottons, and Italian leathers that have been vegetable dyed. The designer, Carol Pratt said it best “I am drawn to lush fabric with structural properties that hug the body like a mitten as opposed to a glove.”
What we love about L’atelier Nawbar is the creativity and workmanship that comes with every piece of jewelry. As Tania and Dima Nawbar, the two sisters behind the line like to call it “unconventional yet rooted in tradition”. Their Falamank Line takes you back to your grandmother’s jewelry box – giving you that rustic feel we all love about vintage jewelry.
What is the highlight of your ‘style’ career?
Our career in the fashion industry has only recently taken off. So, while we look forward to many highlights to come, so far, representing our designers at Coterie, New York’s biggest fashion trade-show during industry market-week was definitely a highlight. In addition to having our designers picked up by many of New York’s best boutiques was also usually exciting.
Every fashionality has as a style obsession, what’s yours?
Prepster. The perfect mix of hipster & preppy—that keeps us laid back enough to be ourselves with the right amount of sharpness.
Do you follow any fashion blogs? If so, what are they and which would you recommend?
www.bleachblack.com Always providing great runway looks!
www.manrepeller.com We love! Love this newly discovered blog; they are always posting sleek, clean, and sharp looks that are exquisite.
www.confashionsfromkuwait.com Talk about fashion forward, stunning!
This fashionesta documents her everyday look and is always sharing her awesome sources of inspiration!
What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that people wore more often?
A soft scarf with a subtle print on it.
To be stylish is to be fashionable. True or False and why?
False.
To be fashionable is to be with the trends and to be “industry defined” – as in someone that is fashionable is someone that is always in the know about what’s “IN” in the fashion world. To be Stylish is different. Style is personal and not restricted by “what’s in” right now. To be stylish is more of a personal representation of what it is to have a creative fashion sense.
To get your hands on these Trickponi selections, visit www.trickponi.com, like them on Facebook: TrickponiShowroom and follow them on Instagram, @trickponi.
