Classic is in: Jordanian fashion designer draws from the past

AMMAN — For aspiring Jordanian designer Lamees Ghazaleh, fashion matters most when you pursue your own style.اضافة اعلان

The 24-year-old designer has always been passionate about fashion, despite graduating from the University of Jordan with a degree in interior design.



Jordanian Fashion designer Lamees Ghazaleh’s dress designs. (Photo: Handout from Lamees Ghazaleh)

While in school, she jotted her dress design ideas on paper, and with time, she grew all the more interested in the fashion industry, with images of a personal design studio brewing in her head.

For Ghazaleh, fashion is essential in life.

"You can tell a lot about a person just from the way they dress," she said in an interview with Jordan News. She defines her own style as ‘classy modern.’

Ghazaleh worked tirelessly on developing her drawing skills and her talent, drawing inspiration from fashion shows and current players in the field.

"I kept practicing and trying new techniques to get better at sketching my designs," she said.

After that, Ghazaleh learned about the myriad fabrics a fashion designer can work with. Her vision materialized in 2017, when she participated in Amman Design Week, bringing her sketches to life.

“Seeing my designs come to life, from paper sketches to actual dresses, is my favorite part of being a fashion designer," she said.



Jordanian Fashion designer Lamees Ghazaleh’s dress designs. (Photo: Handout from Lamees Ghazaleh)

The designer came to prefer sketching her designs on paper, even after giving Wacom, an interactive tablet display, a try.

Ghazaleh explained that she created her designs based on her infatuation with the 1950s and the styles of older eras. She also draws from old movies, actresses, and icons from the 1960s and 70s.

Ghazaleh likes to tie together past and present fashion trends by showing the more feminine side in women's clothing.
"I love vintage clothing. But, of course, I give them a modern touch,” she said.

Rather than following current trends, the designer prefers to strut her own path.

"I don't really like following trends, because they never last, and it can be a little tiring to keep following any new trend that comes up,” she said. “I always advise women to look classy and dress beautifully, whichever way they want to do it.”

For Ghazaleh, the most successful method to promote her work has been social media.



Jordanian Fashion designer Lamees Ghazaleh’s dress designs. (Photo: Handout from Lamees Ghazaleh)

“I think social media is the best and easiest way to get people to know you and recognize your designs," she said.

In the future, Ghazaleh hopes to pursue a career in interior design before starting to work on her main goal: opening a boutique.

“A boutique would be a dream come true," she said.

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