When she was young, 27-year-old Eman Farag was dazzled by her mother’s tailoring skills. The old woman designed clothes for the members of the family, inspiring the daughter to follow suit. When she was young, 27-year-old Eman Farag was dazzled by her mother’s tailoring skills. The old woman designed clothes for the members of the family, inspiring the daughter to follow suit.
Graduating from the Faculty of Applied Arts, Farag thought about using batik to design clothes.
“I chose this kind of art to express my identity and culture in a different and practical way,” Farag told the Egyptian Mail in an interview.
Farag produces modern designs with ancient Egyptian spirit, and sometimes adds African faces to her clothes.
“I love the ancient Egyptian art and the African faces too,” she said. “Most of my designs’ inspiration came from them.”
Batik is the art of applying wax-resistant dye on fabrics to create beautiful and colourful designs. The most popular countries known for Batik are Indonesia and India.
She said that Batik designs are not easy at all, and “They take a lot of time and effort and are characterised by their cheerful colours.”
Farag chooses the drawings and takes motif from them and then begins to draw her own sketches.
“I then begin to define the drawing with wax on the pattern, dye the colours, and finally remove the wax,” she added.
“Completing all these steps, I start cutting and tailoring the piece of fabric to its final look, whether a blouse, a kimono, a dress, trousers, or others.”
During her studies, Farag got acquainted with the pattern designs, colour dying and everything related to fabrics and fashion.
“I participated in many defiles while I was a student. After graduation, I tried to work in many fields but the batik was always my favourite,” Farag said.
The young batik designer started to design her clothes on her own. But it dawned upon her to work full-time in this business.
“I asked myself why I would not work in the field? It is my passion, so why not?!” Farag said.
Soon, she began her own business as a batik designer, launching ‘Eman Farag Designs’ about three years ago. It soon and quickly gained traction.
“I started with two pieces only, and they were swiftly sold, encouraging me to continue in this path,” Farag said.
She always tries to create several models to suit different tastes and styles, of girls and women, with average prices LE80 ($5.1) to LE1500.
“I am seeking to feel unique in my style,” Farag said, adding that she does not feel at ease if she sees someone else wearing the same item of clothes she her self has on, and would decide never to wear it again .
Farag has recently participated in the Torathna exhibition with two of her designs. The design name is ‘goose papyrus’ that was inspired by ancient Egyptian art. She has also taken part in other handmade crafts exhibitions such as Dyarna and Tunis.
“These exhibitions are really different from any other because the kinds of people who visit these exhibitions really appreciate the handmade and the effort we make to reach the final look of the product,” she said.
Lucky enough, Farag usually receives positive feedback on her work. “The people who wear my designs feel happy with the unique pieces. No one else will ever have a similar piece,” she said.
The skillful designer hopes to extend her batik project and is seeking to have her own team to help tailor the fabrics and put them in their final look.
“It is a unique art that is only appreciated by those who know and understand it,” she said
“People who really feel the value of handmade products can understand my designs and appreciate my work,” she added.
