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About
I am Nasra Mustafa Mohammed, I am a Fashion and Accessories designer. I started my journey at Addis Ababa University studying Civil Engineering. I quit engineering school and decided to join NEXT Fashion Institute, graduating with
honors. Seeing this, my family saw the potential in me and started encouraging me to push further and become better; with that momentum, I joined Addis Ababa school of fine arts and design, majoring in Fashion Design.
Inspiration & Process
As a Muslim woman, I grew up in a community that was conservative and focused on design that is often mute. I felt, that there could be a way in which we can make and follow trends, whilst staying true to the culture. In this way, I draw my inspiration from Islamic patterns, which often lean towards geometric shapes and patterns.
I look for inspiration from different cultures, both local and abroad.
My designs always begin with intensive research and seeking inspiration. I believe that only through inspiration can you begin to design and execute.
I then go on to do some visual exploration in the form of sketches. Lastly, I move on to execution, which involves material selection, cutting of patterns and finalizing the product or clothing.
The major design elements I use are leather and fabric.
The market we have at hand does tend to drive the elements you choose to put in your design, and as an abundance, the elements that we have at hand are leather and fabric.
Creative Ethiopia
Although I believe our fashion industry is growing, we as a society are yet to see the full potential of the industry. On the ground, we still see a lack of range of materials, raw materials, fabric choices, facilities for mass production, and the list can go on.
As I see it right now, the hustle for the shortcomings outweighs the hustle for the creative.
What Makes Designs Local
We are often seen associating patterns and motifs as a sure sign of whether or not a design is African/Ethiopian, I believe that we should look deeper and see how that design was conceptualized and realized. I feel that if a project is conceptualized, designed and produced locally, it is an authentic African or Ethiopian design, regardless of the patterns and motifs associated and attached to that specific niche.
Instagram @precious_by_nasra
Facebook @Nasri Mustofa