This fashion designer illustrates Amman in her prints
Nisaa FM: - Designer Tania George Haddad is dedicated to creating easy-to-wear clothing that tells a new story about Jordan. Her brand tagline is “Clothes for a Cause”, reflecting her use of local fabrics and traditional techniques as well as her work with displaced communities.
Paying homage to Jordan’s culture
All of Tania Haddad’s designs are inspired by everyday life in the Jordanian capital of Amman, where she was born and raised, making her line a homage to the country’s culture.
Haddad illustrates parts of the city and turns them into print. She finds that Amman is a city with character – ‘pleasant chaos’ – where even cars, vehicles, and trucks are decorated in a way that show the personality of the city. So her use of Jordan’s culture is not conventional, but more about representing the everyday, referring to the chaos and everyday objects in the illustrations and print. However, she does make use of traditional techniques and craftsmanship in the making of her collections, especially in embroidery.
The most recent collection, “Chibs-Bibs-Canary”, includes prints of grocery items. The prints show the sweets and junk from her childhood as well as grocery items from typical Jordanian homes. It pleases her when customers recognize the prints and say that it reminds them of their childhood.
Haddad’s sources of inspiration
Tania Haddad was still a teenager, when she discovered fashion. At that time there weren’t many designers in Jordan, so she looked towards the fashion of Lebanon with its strong street-style scene. But Haddad was also inspired by her aunt, who loved high-end fashion and had kept all the clothes she had collected over the years, e.g. beautifully tailored Moschino suits from the 1990s.
Haddad likes to team up with emerging Arab artists. She tries to produce everything from within the Arab culture – even the girls recruited for campaign shoots are Arab. She wants to challenge perceptions about Arab creativity, beauty, and art. The brand also supports the community by working closely with refugees. Her tailor is a refugee from Syria now settled in Amman.
It can be challenging to sell a product to people who cannot relate to what they see. When Haddad showcased her latest collection during Paris Fashion Week, she noticed that not all the people could necessarily relate to the prints. In fashion, the pieces are normally expected to cater to everyone. However, when she shares the story of the pieces, then people start to appreciate and understand what they are buying.
Source: www.theculturetrip.com