boondheere: Somali sisters journey from civil war to New York fashionistas (Daawo Video)

Somali sisters journey from civil war to New York fashionistas (Daawo Video)
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bilaajo2010 on 08 April, 2010 08:28:00
 
Two Somali women are making a splash in the New York fashion scene, designing a
range of clothes that take their inspiration from Africa.
Identical twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim were born in Somalia, but left for the
United States aged nine to escape the civil war.
They grew up in Washington D.C. before going to college  one in Boston and the
other in Michigan. After graduation they headed for New York City and set up
fashion label Mataano  the Somali word for twins
Seeing that New Yorkers were wedded to wearing black, the Mohallim twins were
determined to brighten up the city with a splash of African color.
Ayaan told CNN, We came into this industry and realized that with a lot of the
clothes that we saw, everything was black.
You know in Africa, with everything you wear its almost like the peacock
theory  people want to be noticed, they want to stand out
So the worlds taking notice. Its not about designers going to Africa for a
safari and coming back with an animal print and big bangles and saying heres
your one trick pony.
Africa is not a homogenous place  it has different cultures. So now theres a
medium for it and theres more designers that are traveling abroad and bringing
that aesthetic to this market.
The pair have been in business for less than two years, but they are taking
inspiration from the entire continent of Africa, drawing on the traditional
dress of specific regions and subcultures. Their childhood in Somalia has left
a lasting impression that can be seen in their designs
The Somali woman has strength and we want to evoke this through our collection.
Ayaan Mohallim
The Somali woman has strength and we want to evoke this through our
collection, said Ayaan. So we design really flowy, beautiful dresses that
have a nice strong print that showcases the strength these women really have.
For our Spring 2010 collection we also used Somali references and
inspirations, said Idyl.
There was one silhouette thats worn by every woman in Somalia, called a
dirac. We didnt want to recreate it too much, we just wanted to introduce
that and say its relevant and you can wear it in a western culture.
But while they are fusing traditional African clothing with modern Manhattan
sensibilities, they have to be sensitive to cultural differences in their more
conservative homeland.
We got a lot of feedback from Somalis everywhere, said Idyl. A lot of our
consumers and fans are writing us and saying you guys are making beautiful
clothes but some of them are not modest enough, especially not for the Somali
culture and Somali woman.
So thats something that we really had to pay attention to and try to create
something for everyone, while staying true to the collection.
The twins new collection will debut on runways in South Africa this summer
during Africa Fashion Week. They say its a big step in the right direction,
but they have their sights set on expanding even further.
In the next few years we definitely want to expand our business, said Idyl.
We want to go global. We want to be in Europe, the Middle East, and especially
Africa.
We want to speak to the global consumer  and not just for women  weve been
getting a lot of requests from men.
As they grow beyond the boutiques of Brooklyn and Manhattan, the twins believe
their story is one that resonates with people from all backgrounds.
Were bringing a positive story and people connect with that because were
following the American dream and weve overcome a lot of obstacles, said Idyl.
Weve had to assimilate, but at the same time there are so many immigrants, so
many different individuals doing that throughout the Diaspora, throughout
Africa, so there is a positive story that needs to be told.
I think its really refreshing to hear a different side of Somalia & that
were not all pirates!