Saudi Gazette

Born in New York and raised in Italy, fashion designer Romy Hourani launched her namesake collection in Dubai over three years ago. The young brand borders on edgy, versatile and distinctive designs with beauty as its forte, even though it mainly depicts the latest fashion trends giving it the right sense of direction and familiarity. Hourani’s eye for the cuts and trends are beautifully represented throughout the iconic 15-pieces in her second collection that features key pieces that can transcend from day to night easily. Gifted with a sense of style that transcends mass opinion, she is able to select and curate the process using her artistic prowess.

Influenced by her personal style, she described the collection, as “everything I design and make is everything I wear and love.”

From a gorgeous red chiffon dress, to sharp contrast pieces, confident jumpsuits, there is a use of checks, florals, velvet, lace, black silk, bright reds and pastels combining all that we have loved this season.

This week we spoke to Hourani about her intriguing journey, passion and multifaceted collection. “Romy Collection is luxe clothing. I went through so many trial and errors to get it to exactly how I want it. The fabrics are silks, satins and chiffons. I love the way silk feels and looks on the body. It’s feminine, chic and versatile. So many of the pieces can be dressed up or down and styled in many different ways. This is what I want to continue to emphasize with the brand,” Hourani told Saudi Gazette.

During her younger years, she was a part of a TV show in Italy where she showcased her singing and dancing skills, she later majored in English Literature and went on to study fashion styling at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. In between, she also moved to Riyadh for three years.

“I always worked in fashion, even during college. At FIT I worked on fashion shows as well as styling photo shoots for different photographers, putting together a portfolio. It was definitely an exciting time. In high school I was crowned best dressed every single year. I just loved putting looks together and never followed what everyone else was wearing. This continued to my adult life where I was always asked where my clothes came from. But I love to mix looks. When I moved to Dubai three years ago, friends and family members asked if I could style their looks for day and night. That turned into me making a few pieces for myself and people started asking where I bought them and finally I did a pop up this past June where almost everything sold out and I realized I had to continue in this path. This past summer I took a few courses in NY and finished my fashion design course as well,” she said. During her tenure in Riyadh she learned more about Saudi culture and the local fashion palate. “I loved how the Saudi women were always so elegant in their abayas and you knew that there was just a stunning outfit underneath! I love that. I think fashion in this part of the world is definitely evolving. Women are experimenting more with different designers and with their styles. And I think that’s amazing. I loved living in Riyadh. It was really a special bonding time for me and my family and the fashion in Riyadh was very inspiring.”

Her fashion journey came with a lot of learning and experience garnered by her upbringing and traveling.

She said the beginning was exceptionally challenging but now she sees the hard work paying off. “I would say that that was the most challenging for me, including finding talented tailors, pattern makers and more. But my biggest reward is giving back to the community. Designing here in Dubai and making everything locally is the best reward.”

She believes simplicity is key even when it comes to relating the vision for her brand.

“My vision is to continue making beautiful clothes that women love. My vision is to continue to make women feel beautiful in the clothes that I design. I have clients who come in wearing something, and they try on a few of my pieces and walk out happy and grateful wearing one of my looks. This is what I love. This is what I want to continue to do for as many years as possible! In the next five years I see the brand growing and reaching all different countries and cultures. That’s the beauty,” she said.

She said one of the dreams is to “see many celebrities wearing Romy.”

The new brand has piqued local curiosity and is now seen on fashion bloggers. It recently caught the eye of Vogue magazine. “A triumphant moment recently was when Karen Wazen wore one of my dresses to the Saint Laurent fashion show during Paris fashion week this September. Vogue asking me to dress the models for their gala this past week was another triumphant moment for me. The ultimate goal would be to continue doing this forever.” And here is hoping she will.

Currently located in Dubai, you can buy the collection online.

Website www.romycollection.com

Instagram: @Romy_Collection