In a four-part series, MOJEH highlights four women who share their love for the designers that feed their imaginations and fill their wardrobes...
In her role as TV producer, reporter and occasional writer, Anicée Gohar is constantly on the go. She bounces from city to city, depending on the project at hand, her moves dictating her fashion choices, as she trots around the globe.
“I never really know or follow what the trends are,” explains the 28-year-old French-Egyptian, who is currently based out of London. “I often don’t have the luxury to really pick, because I live out of suitcases, so I wear whatever I’ve remembered to pack. I’m always missing the right tights for this outfit or the socks for that one, and underdress for this one. I just have to make do!”
Although she tosses around the word “random” when asked about her exact style, on matters regarding fashion’s ethical responsibility, she knows exactly where she stands. “I usually only buy items from designers I know or second-hand stuff. I don’t like to participate in the mass manufacturing of textile, that is the second most polluting industry after oil, and one that exploits labour force,” she says.
It is this precise stance for sustainable fashion that brought Anicée and designer (turned-close-friend) Rani Helou together. The duo, who met at a fashion event in London last year, found they shared the same ethics on conscious consumerism. “I’ve always been a Roni Helou girl without even knowing it. His brand stands for so many things that I find more interesting than fashion itself,” she says of their relationship. “Roni uses his brand to encourage local action, animal care, equality and sustainability, all of his clothes are also eco-friendly. He sources fabrics from dead stocks to avoid waste and bring awareness to the forgotten garbage crisis Lebanon, and the whole world, is facing. A part of his profit also goes towards backing a free fashion school in Beirut.”
A young brand that just recently started to make its footprints on the fashion landscape, Roni Helou is all about modern and versatile pieces, an ethos that his young millennial followers (Anicée included) swear by. “My favourites from Roni are the blue Dirk dress and the Boxy coat with the big checks. The dress is so passe partout, you can wear it to a party as much as a picnic,” she says.
“I like the lines and the fact that his designs are simple but classy, bordering a bit on the1970s working woman. He’s not trying too hard either, there’s this easygoing, oversized chic vibe I like. It reminds me of Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5 song and how it must have felt going to work listening to that song when it just came out.” It is in the way she talks about Roni’s clothes and his brand’s creative direction that we slowly see Anicée’s true style emerge. And although she was only introduced to the designer last year, she already knows how she likes to style his clothes. “I love big earrings or stacking rings, but with Roni Helou’s designs I feel like natural and simple things go best.”
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