India inspires designer Selina Farooqui

As chic and pretty as her collection, Selina Farooqui is a new and promising designer in the Middle East.

Farooqui is a designer who imbibes the aesthetics of culture and luxury together in her collection. It is a combination of royal colors, traditional embroidery and sophisticated designs that set her clothes aside from the competition. W Doha acknowledged Farooqui’s work by presenting her with the Best Fashion Designer Award in 2011 and offered its hotel premises to showcase her collections.

In 2012, Farooqui was honored with the Arab Women’s Award for Best Young Designer of the year. A graduate from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts, Qatar, Farooqui’s love for fabrics took her on a journey of designing clothes.

Here’s a short interview with this multicultural designer:

Tell us about yourself.

I am a 26-year-old fashion designer based in Doha. I am an Indian. I was born and brought up in Saudi Arabia and moved to Qatar when I was 15. I started studying fashion design at VCUQ in 2006, and my career kicked off in the middle of my university years. It was the 2010 Annual Fashion Show at VCUQ and I was showing my junior year collection that night. I presented my first ever “Indian-Inspired” collection. The show was successful. That night, I was approached by a boutique owner from Qatar, who had fallen in love with a jacket I designed. She wanted it to be sold in her boutique. I wasn’t expecting anything like that yet I eagerly said yes and went on to create a follow-up collection for the boutique, featuring that one jacket. In doing so, I had to create my brand from scratch. I did everything from designing the logo, to making the tags, labels and packaging in a matter of a month or two. By August of that year it was sold out. This started a chain of events and opportunities and exposure to the press. This threw my brand in the public eye and got the attention of the fashion scene in the city. I continued to sell my collection in Doha, but also started selling in Dubai. I showcased my collection in Istanbul as well. Early milestones made me create my brand Selina Farooqui, my lifelong dream, goal and career. I am continuing stronger than ever today.

Original article by Amina Samreen Salahuddin

Continue reading at Arab News: India inspires designer Selina Farooqui

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