Established in 2017 in Kuwait, eponymous, evening-wear label Bazza Alzouman has been recently topping our wish list for its luxurious gowns, immaculate attention to detailing & expertise of garments. Bringing together traditional couture mechanisms with a contemporary flair, Bazza has quickly been gaining major prominence for its take on amalgamating intricate garment construction techniques with a more approachable & modern aesthetic. Intrigued by the label’s exquisiteness, we sat down with the designer to discuss all things fashion, her journey & new season essentials.
Photo: Courtesy of Bazza Alzouman
The Bazza Alzouman Journey
Bazza: I’ve always been in love with the magic of fashion and particularly evening wear. What I noticed early on was that a lot of the things I loved in editorials or on the runway never made it to retail. I was really bored with the evening wear selection in stores at the time, and I felt like I had so many ideas and things that I would like to do. The evening wear scene has definitely become much more diverse in the past few years, but I still feel like retail always plays it safe by sticking to classic silhouettes and a traditional aesthetic. I also believe that the consumers are a lot more sophisticated and that is where our brand comes in and helps to provide a fresh perspective on evening and occasion wear.
The Many Sources of Inspiration
Bazza: When I design I am always trying to capture a feeling of how a woman wants to feel in our pieces or how she wants to feel in general. After that I usually am inspired by non-traditional sources for evening wear. For example the grunge movement inspired SS18 and AW 18 was inspired by the book ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’. I think the strongest ideas are the ones that blend modern and classic, feminine and masculine, all in a very cohesive way, like achieving fashion Umami.
The Impact of Social Media
Bazza: Social Media has been priceless and an integral part of creating and communicating the brand as well as marketing it and reaching our customers. In the first couple of years, social media, and particularly Instagram was the only point of communication and public relations we had, not even a website. The amazing thing is that with a little bit of planning and layout you can create a brand for free on the platform. You can decide as a brand how you want to present yourself / be perceived and try to reflect that on your social media page. Hopefully the people who come across like it and decide to follow and then it just grows from there. So for us social media was the catalyst that launched the brand and continues to fuel the growth to this day.
Photo: Courtesy of Bazza Alzouman
A Usual Day in Bazza’s Life
Bazza: I don’t really need to set an alarm because my daughters (3 ½ and 1 ½ years old) wake me up anywhere between 6:30 to 7:30am. I make coffee because not only do I love it, but I can’t start my day without it and take the Kids to nursery. I’m usually in the studio by 8:30am and tackling whatever needs to get done. I meet clients, go over samples, manage production, respond to emails, sketch, design etc. If I don’t have any appointments, at Noon I will try to pick up the kids from Nursery and then go back to work, otherwise I work straight through and see them in the afternoon. I’m usually not in the office after 5pm, but I do have to keep up with my phone and emails even outside of the office until about 7pm where I try to switch off until I start the next day. My schedule can really vary based on the season, or if we’re doing production or have some custom clients, etc. No two days are exactly alike and I like the flexibility.
Bazza’s Closet Essentials
Bazza: For Winter: Topshop leather leggings and Helmut Lang Knitwear
For Summer: Zimmerman dresses and Jonathan Simkhai blouses
Chanel Espadrilles are a year-round must for me.
I also believe having a good leather jacket is a closet essential and a jewelry collection you love. Accessories are so important to pulling together the look.
The Insider Tip to Aspiring Designers
Bazza: It’s a marathon not a sprint. You really have to have a clear vision of where you want to be in a year , 2 years, 3 years, 5 etc. and just keep at it. Also while it’s important to have a plan, you also have to respond and adapt to the needs of your market, so stay flexible and always be open to new opportunities to learn. It’s hard work but if you love it then it’s well worth it.
Photo: Courtesy of Bazza Alzouman
Photo: Courtesy of Bazza Alzouman
Follow Bazza Alzouman: @bazzaalzouman