With Noha Ata, it all started as a dream. She was always into art but ended up settling for the more practical route of taking on a BA in Integrated Marketing Communication at the AUC instead. When she realized that a desk job at an advertising agency was not what she saw herself doing for the rest of her life, she started studying Fashion Design and Patternmaking at the Fashion Design Center – Instituto di Moda Burgo. And that’s how she turned a simple dream into reality. Noha is now a talented Fashion Designer and got everyone talking about her Spring/Summer collection.

 

WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BECOME A FASHION DESIGNER?
As a child, my creative appetite was always strongly encouraged by my family, especially my grandfather who would regularly ask to see my latest artwork and would frame some pieces. So I’ve always had a creative drive but because of my varied interests, I had trouble deciding where to channel it. 

I first fell in love with the idea of designing clothes for women during my sophomore year of university. I took a course called Fashion and Film, which was offered by the Art department where we basically took a look at fashion history through film. It was one of the most interesting, inspirational classes I’d taken and was in many ways responsible for my passion to pursue fashion design as a career.

WHAT IS THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR LATEST COLLECTION FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2014?
This Spring/Summer 14 collection is very soft, subtle, sweet, young and playful. I explored this dream girl concept, which was heavily inspired by Sofia Coppola’s hauntingly melancholic depiction of the five Lisbon sisters from the film The Virgin Suicides based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides.  They represent a great number of contradictions including the virginal vs. the overtly sexual, the ordinary vs. the ethereal and the innocent vs. the corrupted. With this collection I hoped to capture a surreal dreamlike mood. The pieces are feminine, youthful and playful with a vintage feel. To achieve this effect, I worked with a muted color palette, dainty guipure laces and soft silhouettes.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND OR STYLE?
As a new designer who is still in the beginning stages of my career, I am still in the process of finding myself and shaping a brand identity that is consistent from season to season. 

I am really drawn to the concept of the modern bohemian woman because of that effortless understated sort of undone aesthetic. Although my design aesthetic is quite simple, I always enjoy adding some element of detail to make each piece special in its own way.

The NOHA ATA woman knows who she is and is comfortable in her own skin. She is an intellectual artistic personality who has a big thirst for life and finds herself when she travels and exposes herself to new experiences. Her creativity comes through in the way she dresses – she is never afraid to express herself, take chances and have fun!

HOW DO YOU PRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTE YOUR DESIGNS?
I will be announcing a launch real soon on the NOHA ATA facebook page so stay tuned!

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN CAIRO AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
It’s an exciting time for the fashion industry in Cairo and I can’t wait to join the community! 

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP?
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see! Hopefully you’ll be seeing more of NOHA ATA. 

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST DREAM AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?
To design clothing that empowers and inspires and to cultivate a brand that women can connect and identify with. 

” The Noha Ata woman knows who she is and is comfortable in her own skin”

ARE THERE ANY EGYPTIAN DESIGNERS YOU LOOK UP TO OR ADMIRE?
I really admire designers like Amina K, Deana Shaaban and Yasmine Yeya. They were some of the first Egyptian designers to come out and they were largely responsible for opening the floor to this new flood of young designers. They each have solid brand identities and a strong sense of who they are as designers.