Rana Yousry
Laying a Sumptuous Touch upon Haute Couture
Rana Yousry’s emerging fashion house, ‘ASORY House’, is the perfect harbour for those who don’t want to go unnoticed. In pursuit of her lifelong dream since childhood, she managed to establish her award-winning brand and become an inspiration for every young entrepreneur. Yousry shares with us her remarkable journey and some professional advice for those who want to follow her lead.
Tell us about yourself and how you developed an interest in fashion.
I founded ‘Asory House’ after working in the fashion industry for two years as a co-founder, fashion designer, and entrepreneur at ‘The Loft Egypt’ for RTW, with an engineering background. I won first place at ‘La Mode A Beyrouth’ by Lebanon Fashion Week, followed by an international internship at ‘Tony Ward Couture’. It all started at an early age. I have always been passionate about fashion designing; I used to design all of my friends’ and my dresses, working closely on their details and haute couture tailoring techniques. I was so lucky to live this unique experience and to explore my talent with one of the most qualified couturiers in Egypt.
How did your experience in T4C Academy add to your career?
T4C academy added to my passion. It was a professional experience, starting from the terms of creation: how to free your mind and think creatively, to developing your artistic ideas. It also helped me discover my inner abilities. It gave me the opportunity to experience the runway environment as well as what it means to work on a real collection alongside the competition spirit.
What do you enjoy the most about being a fashion designer?
I enjoy exercising the art of creation: from designing, production, tailoring, detailing, and embroideries to seeing the final look of the main design on stage or on my client. I experience exceptional pleasure in seeing the gestures and fascinated looks on the faces of my clients.
What would you say inspires you?
Actually all kinds of art and Mother Nature beauty inspire me. Anything that my eyes spot can be a source of inspiration. I love to watch and hear the hidden messages and details behind everything around me. For me, fashion is art, and an artist must be open to every single detail in life; to see it differently and create it uniquely.
What are the biggest challenges you face in the fashion field?
My biggest challenge in the fashion field is seeing my dream ‘ASORY House’ become true on a local and international level.
What are some qualities that distinguish a fashion designer?
Creativity and uniqueness in the process of creating a statement, plus an innovative mind-set and methodology help in enhancing the designer’s skills. Moreover, being exposed and reliable, having something to give, being different, along with having a strong character are highly demanded too.
Every person has a plan and goals for the future, what is yours?
My vision is to carve the name of ‘ASORY’ into the history of fashion; aspire to inspire people’s souls and to be dedicated to offer my clients a whole new distinctive and sophisticated experience out of custom-made design. I want my work to be conceptualized starting from their in-house welcome till their statement delivery. I am building a fashion house empire; the house will be expanded and developed, not only for haute couture, but for sportswear, casual wear, accessories, shoes, leather goods and perfumes. We are working the hard way to develop ourselves, seeking perfection to bring out the best of this industry, whether externally or internally.
Do you have a favourite collection so far?
Every piece and detail of every collection I made is my favourite. Every single piece has a different identity, inspiration and a story behind it. Every single statement dictates extra efforts and hard work that cannot be denied. Soon, we will be introducing our first haute couture collection with high quality standards of uniqueness and creativity.
Give us tips for shopping better.
As a designer, I think people can shop better by knowing what makes them happy, powerful, lovable and confident. They have to know their body shapes and what fits them the best as well as the kind of occasion they are heading to before shopping.
Since the wardrobe is a secret chamber, they should take advantage of that by mixing and matching. You can shop smart by researching the latest trends that will last, so that you can make use of them every season. Don’t be a follower; create your own trend and style. Finally, love yourself! Every person has their inner charm that must be well appreciated and discovered.
A word for our readers…
I just want to tell them that they have to follow their dreams and work hard to be whoever they want to be. Nothing comes easy, so make the best out of every opportunity you have. Never give up because every bad moment you go through is your anchor for a new beginning, so create an opportunity out of it.
Explore; see the beauty in everything around you and create your own legend. Always put in mind that no matter how hard it is, it will be worth the effort.