Flair Magazine If you’re keeping up with the Egyptian fashion scene, you’ve definitely come across the sensational MissBasket AKA Nada El Ashmouny. Currently entertaining around 141k on her Facebook group and 155k followers on Instagram, this socialite is a frontrunner casting a ton of attention on the choice local designers we have today. We talked to Nada El Ashmouny about her interesting career path and the challenges she faces in balancing the mom life with her lively work schedule.
How did your love for styling come about in the first place?
It’s always been something I like to talk about with my friends. Most people are used to buying so many items that they love and they imagine each piece with just one type of outfit. Your wardrobe crams up and you don’t end up wearing those pieces often, so I would give my friends tricks on how to re-style or, in other words, recycle outfits. It started out as a Whatsapp group where I would send them styling tips and give them suggestions about what goes with what. It wasn’t a business then. It was just a group chat where I had 20 friends who kept adding their friends until the group became bigger someone suggested I start a Facebook group. I actually had to Google to find out how to even do that but one night, I decided to really go for it.
How did you come up with the name MissBasket?
I didn’t know what to name it. I didn’t want to pick a cliché title like Nada Fashion or anything like that. It wasn’t me. I named it MissBasket because I usually shop abroad and I buy many things at a time. Especially in London, you walk around with an actual shopping cart and you fill it with clothes. I always fill the cart until it overflows. My husband once told me, “I’ve never seen anyone fill their cart as much as you do” and he called me MissBasket. Basket refers to the cart and the Miss part refers to the Miss Universe title – like I’m the shopping world champion or something. I realize it doesn’t make sense to anyone but I thought it was so me and that’s why I picked it. At first, most people were confused and wondered if I played basketball but then I explained what it meant to me and asked people if I should change it. They told me to keep it since it was so personal. It’s become a trend now and people use it as a hashtag on their general fashion posts so that makes me happy about my decision.
When did it hit you that you’ve become an influencer?
When starting the Facebook group, I only imagined it would host around 300 or 1000 people at most. My Instagram account was also private and then I decided to make it public so more people can get involved instead of having to send a request to join the Facebook group. I didn’t even know how to take great photos back then but people still engaged and the followers were flooding in.
How did it feel?
I don’t like to call myself an influencer. I feel that it is a title you have to earn. It’s a very big word. I don’t think of myself as a celebrity or a public figure either, even though some people like to call me that. I believe you need to be making a huge difference to earn that.
It sounds like a cliché when influencers say that their followers are like family but I really mean it. I actually miss them when I’m travelling and not active on social media. When I miss posting for a day, people reach out and ask me what I’m up to. If they see me somewhere, they come up to me and hug me like we’re family.
Tell us about your experience speaking at TedxYouth@EBIS.
For me, it was a huge lifetime experience. I was terrified. I was holding a stress ball the whole time. I normally get anxious about these things but as soon as I start speaking, I can be myself. I had a speech prepared and everything but I ended up saying something totally different. It was one of the best experiences I ever had, actually. To even be featured in a Tedx talk and stand in front of so many people was such an honor.
Do you face any challenges as a mom for being an influencer?
Of course. I have many responsibilities outside of work. I was just telling my friend that someone wanted me to be part of a huge campaign in Gouna for an international brand and I had to turn it down. They only gave me a two-day notice and I had to take my daughter to be vaccinated so I could never make it. There is always something to compromise if you’re going to have time to spend with family and juggle that with business meetings and events. I also sleep very little. I spend four or five hours with my kids until they go to sleep at 9pm and then I start to focus on everything I missed out on and keep up with work and then I sleep sometime around 5am. I have to wake up at 8am with my daughter, help her get ready and go back to sleep for another hour. It’s definitely a challenge but it’s worth it. It’s not hard for me to get up everyday and go to work. I can make those sacrifices because I love my work and really enjoy what I do.
What trends are you following right now?
Right now, I’m loving yellow. It’s a huge 2019 trend. I also love crochet and ‘blocking colors’, which translates into pairing orange with green or fuchsia, for example. They are colors that you wouldn’t normally ever put together. My mother always mocks me when I wear these outfits but I love them. Suits are also very in.
What are your styling tips for this season?
I would encourage people not to ditch their clothes in the closet and always adopt the mindset to ‘restyle’. Let’s say you invested in a really nice blazer and then wore it with jeans. Every time you want to wear the blazer, you will think to wear it the same way but there are always other options. You can pair it with a skirt or a morning dress or fun sneakers. Follow Egyptian or international influencers or even go on Pinterest to get new ideas on what you can wear. There are also basics that will set a tone for every outfit, like a white or black basic shirt. The more basics you have, the easier you will find it to build a new outfit.
By Sarah Guirguis
