Sarah Guirguis Handmade in Alexandria with love, Vivian designs have been constant showstoppers at The Wedding Expo, Cairo Fashion Festival, Cairo International Film Festival and Gouna Film Festival over the years. This year, they even made it to Paris Fashion Week, right before quarantine took over our lives. If you’re not familiar with this aprés midi brand, it is the epitome of effortless beauty and bold creativity.
Born and raised in Alexandria, Vivian Moawad was initially a Finance major but she valiantly decided to go after her dream. Her fashion career took off in the summer of 2015, after she had taken courses at Marangoni Fashion Design. We talked to her about her journey so far and her experience at Paris Fashion Week.
We love the combination of classic and bold vibes from your latest collection ‘A Time in Elegance’. What is the story and inspiration behind it?
My inspiration was quite a random mix – Dior, Queen Rania, the fifties and Paris. This one was very enjoyable for me to create. The ‘Dual Flower’ concept is expressed in the front having a different texture or colour from the back of the designs.
Tell us all about your experience at Paris Fashion Week this year.
Paris Fashion Week was possibly the best experience I ever had in my life. The backstage vibes were overwhelming.. The models were super professional. The venue was Coco Chanel’s home at the Ritz Paris, and everyone was so impressed with my collection. I received a lot of compliments as an Egyptian designer.
Do you think the Covid situation has affected the nature of runways this season? How come?
Covid-19 definitely affected me and other designers badly – both economically and physiologically, I would say. Especially since I was showcasing at Paris literally a week before the lockdown, the collection didn’t take a proper propaganda.
Looking back, what have been the biggest milestones of your career so far?
I am always proud of what I am doing. I developed a successful unique brand that has now expanded in Alexandria and Cairo with luxurious showrooms in upscale areas to indulge my clients the best way I can. I always work on my vision and creativity flow. I honestly never feel like I’ve done enough, and I still have dreams to open more branches all over the world and launch different lines of production, such as Ready-to-Wear collections, accessories and so on.
What is your favorite part about being a fashion designer?
I love being a fashion designer who stands out, not merely another designer. That feeling only comes to me when I see my clients happy, satisfied and confident when they are dressed in one of my designs. Sometimes, I have my downs and work can turn out to be a disaster but I’m always on the lookout for the things that help me to get back on track, like travelling, drawing and running.
Do you have any advice for young designers just fresh out of fashion school?
My advice to young designers is to always keep in mind studying styling after fashion design. I realized it’s a big part of the job and it really helps you develop your collection and be able to apply more creativity to your work. Also, make sure you don’t copy anyone’s designs; only draw inspiration from them.
