Sarah Guirguis Taking you back in time to the golden age of Hollywood and the royal days of ancient Egypt and Arabian empires, Mirna Nakhla presents the type of statement pieces that can magically and instantly elevate any outfit. Since this luxury brand is undeniably worth watching out for, we caught up with the Egyptian designer to find out how her story began and her dreams regarding the future of her flourishing brand.
How did your brand come about in the beginning?
To start off, I studied fashion design and our program wasn’t specialized in just one aspect. We were designing clothes as well as accessories. After applying for jobs and getting a couple of interviews, in one of them I was asked to design leather goods, which is actually what inspired me to design luxury leather goods. Then one day, I came across my great grand father’s drawing book in middle school. They taught them how to draw through geometry; I found a lot of beautiful drawings that really sparked up my imagination, and from there, I started designing the first couple of pieces for my first collection. But it took me a year to bring it to life, it wasn’t as easy as you would think.
What challenges have you faced along the way?
You face all sorts of challenges – emotional, practical and financial ones. For instance, it was quite difficult to find artisans who could translate your vision and bring it to life through their craftsmanship, especially when none of them were convinced with my sketches, deeming them “impossible to manufacture”. It requires a lot of patience trying to convince someone to give life to your sketches. I failed several times and got discouraged. I even put my project on hold for a while until I decided that I will no longer wait and will try to find a way to make it happen. But I must admit that my struggles are nothing compared to what others go through.
What was it like studying fashion design in Milan?
It was like walking in a living museum, constantly finding inspiration in every corner of the city. It was the start of my journey to discover who I am and scratch the surface of my identity. It was a beautiful learning experience. Going to Marangoni there felt like I was practically living The Devil Wears Prada. The experience meant a lot to me because it was the foundation of my identity and my sense of independence, along with everything I learned at university.
Which aspects about accessory design do you love the most?
I love the entire process, starting from the research, hunting for inspiration, sketching and selecting the pieces that will make it into the collection, and then, assembling the pieces to see the final result. There isn’t one aspect that I’m more passionate about than the other because they’re all connected.
Where do you usually find inspiration for new collections?
I usually find inspiration in the elements I identify with, since the brand is an expression of who I am. I find inspiration in the golden age of hollywood, nature, life, my heritage, cinema, music and art history.
Do you have any dreams you still want to pursue in this field?
I have quite a few dreams to pursue not just in that field, but I hope to grow my brand internationally, and have it represent all women globally.
