MOJEH.com talks exclusively with Samuel Drira, the creative force behind the Parisian label Nehera. He discusses women, inspiration and luxury fashion…
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in France and when I was five-years-old, my parents decided to move to Tunis. I got obsessed, even at this very young age, by the men wrapped in their burnous, as well as the white architecture contrasting against the impeccable blue sky, and the shades of wood and sand. These images have been engrained in my head ever since.
What drew you to fashion?
I wanted to do fashion even before I knew it existed. But, I always felt uncomfortable when clothes were used to demonstrate social status. I think fashion is a wonderful tool for transforming oneself. Some people are afraid of that – but I like it when you get to know another facet of yourself through clothes you couldn’t imagine you would wear, and it becomes a part of the strength of your character after a while. Personally, I am not able to hide behind the neutrality of jeans and a tee-shirt.
Tell us about Nehera and its revival.
In the early Thirties, Nehera with its founder Jan Nehera at the helm, was a pioneer in launching the concept of ready-to-wear around Europe. Remember that back in day, Paris was primarily focussed on Haute Couture for a handful of the rich and beautiful. The brand was dormant during the Second World War, until it was bought by Ladislav Zdut who had the idea of putting it back on the map. I knew nothing about Nehera until I got a call out of the blue. I guess I was mentally ready to jump at the responsibility of being its new creative force. It didn’t occur to me that we would grow so fast.
Who is the Nehera woman?
She’s classic, but she will never go for classicism head-to-toe because she feels the formula is too rigid. In this sense, she’s quite adventurous. She likes to think that, from the collar of her jacket to the movement of her arms, her lifestyle has been taken into consideration in the making of unique clothes.
There’s a prevalent sense of nomadism within the collections such as the suede capelets and velvet sheath dresses in the autumn/winter16 collection. Where does the inspiration come from?
Gestures: I like to watch how people move, put their hands in their pockets, sit down and so on. I think about what works and what doesn’t. I never get inspired by making a Sixties or Eighties revival. It’s somehow more abstract. I am more drawn by how the garment and the fabric interact in order to create their own language.
Within the shapes and colour palette of the collections there is an underlying sense of power. Was this a commentary on the role of women today?
I hope so. At Nehera I am almost only surrounded by women, all of whom work hard to achieve a common goal. I guess there’s a feminist element in Nehera in the way the clothes drape, wrap and knot, a bit like living shapes that liberate and never feel contrived.
The current state of fashion is…
Doing a 360 degree angle.
Favourite quote and life mantra.
‘What we think, we become.’- Buddha.
