British Jordanian designer Farah Bseiso paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II with her new collection showcased at Arab Fashion Week on Tuesday.
The founder of Maison Madaen, based in the UAE, presented her Autumn-Winter 2022-23 collection called “Fallen Rose” in front of a well-heeled crowd at the Dubai event.
“It’s inspired by the gardens in London, especially Buckingham Palace Gardens. I’m paying tribute to her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. So the collection is inspired by her personal gardens and her roses and the flowers which she used to love. And I’m also paying a special tribute to her (with a) few pieces inspired by her gowns,” said Bseiso, who is also a member of the Arab Fashion Council, the organizing body behind the event.
But the road to fashion design was paved with a number of difficulties for Bseiso.
“I wanted to be a designer since I was a baby because I used to love fashion. My mom was in the industry (for) a long time and she used to take me with her to all the fashion shows. I used to see Claudia Schaeffer and Naomi Campbell, all the very, very tough models. It was overwhelming to be around all the fabrics and the movement of the dresses. It was amazing,” said Bseiso.
But when it was time to pick her stream for further studies fate had other plans for the young Bseiso. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and Bseiso had to “share in her battles.
“So I studied English literature instead and … went (further) away from my passion. And I was also taking care of my mom because it was a very hard journey with cancer. And then after that, I started working as a professor at a university. At some point, after five years of working as a professor in the university, I thought, ‘no, this is not my passion.’ I left everything, I traveled back to London, and I studied fashion design. From there, I went all over again. And I established Maison Madaen in 2016,” she said.
When asked to describe her creative style, she said: “It’s so feminine and also liberal. It is for women who want to show their personality in different ways. I want every woman’s inner beauty and inner strength to show in her clothes as well.”
The name Madaen means cities. “I always get inspired by women around the world. And I want to reflect everything I see on my designs from every single lady I have ever met,” said Bseiso.
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