Flair Magazine As the international Lebanese blogger and influencer Lana El Sahely lands in Cairo, we sit down for a chat with her ahead of her much awaited collaboration with Maison Pyramide. In a press lunch at Sea Salt Bakery, the mother-to-be spoke to us how she wants to support and elevate regional designers and much more…
Why did you decide to launch the L’Armoire De Lana E-Shop?
When I launched the E-shop about a year ago, it was a way to evolve my company. I noticed that people like my taste, but I don’t have the know-how to produce fashion pieces. Since 70 percent of my work is with regional designers I though of doing collaborations with them. I started with mostly Lebanese designers and we had capsule collections throughout the year. Another one of my highlights of last year was the collaboration I did with Fendi. Despite the fact that the “Lana” accessory was only available for purchase in the GCC, we also shipped it worldwide. In the UAE, the accessory sold out in about three weeks.
Also, the collaborations were a way for me to support regional brands and elevate them to an international stage. It’s a way for me to give back. In the region, we are still too obsessed with international brands. However this is decreasing which is definitely a shift in the right direction. That is why I try to work on projects that appeal to everyone, and not just luxury brands.
Why did you choose to collaborate with Maison Pyramide’s brands?
Giovanina Atieh (the co-founder of Maison Pyramide) is an old friend of mine. I got to discover many interesting brands through her. I was inspired by the way Maison Pyramide supported local brands. Although the fashion capital in the region is Dubai, it is still important for other places in the region to show the talents they have. From the start I wanted to do different collaborations/editions in different cities. Because our close relationship with Maison Pyramide we are starting with Cairo.
How would you describe the LDLXMP collection?
The collaboration is with six designers from Maison Pyramide. They are Ammanii, The Design Studio by Azza Fahmy, Okhtein, Kojak, Maram, and The King’s Mother. For the collaborations I wanted to do versatile pieces that could be worn in many different ways as well as be simple and easy to style.
How is it to collaborate with different designers in your capsule collection?
Every designer has a different style and different approach and vision. With some we try to reinterpret their classics with different colors or fabrics. With others we experiment with the brands. Each collaboration is unique. The main challenge in collaborating with brands is keeping the price point below $350 because our audience is young and we want to appeal to everyone. So this is the main challenge-having great quality at such a price.
You can buy pieces from the LDLXMP collection on lanaelsahely.com
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
