A common theme we’ve observed this season (& one which we truly love) is the celebration of individualistic style. Whether it may be a street style luxe label or an evening wear brand, this season designers are all about ensuring that their garments celebrate unique personal styles rather than trends. Although this may be a concept which is currently trending, one label has been abiding by this ethos for a while now. Established by style connoisseur Fadwa Baruni, Baruni has been a label synonymous with celebrating the vibrant women who lives her life to the fullest.
Inspired by multiple influences from across the globe (sometimes the complexities of engineering, other times the designer’s North African heritage), Baruni explores natural colours & textures through each one of the ready-to-wear pieces. For their AW17 collection, the label has translated their signature aesthetic into timeless, classic silhouettes, which will surely serve as wardrobe essentials this season & next. Intrigued by the world of Baruni, we sat down with designer Fadwa to discover her journey, a usual day in her life & her wardrobe essentials.
THE BARUNI JOURNEY
Fadwa: I was never interested in working for another company in fashion and had a clear idea of my own design aesthetic & wanted to express this myself through my own work. This was the main driver to set up Baruni.
There is a real challenge for modern women who want to be stylish, stand out from the crowd, yet still be comfortable. Baruni’s focus for customers is that they always feel especially confident while wearing Baruni. I design for the energetic and driven modern woman who wants to always feel stylish yet comfortable.
FADWA’S MANY SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
Fadwa: I have a wide range of influences, from the tangible to the abstract.
For instance, the theme for Baruni AW17 is ‘Reflections’ – essentially an idea. It captures ideas from reflections of lights or even reflections in thought. Whereas for SS17, my theme is more tangible – ‘Crystals and Rare Stones’.
These themes are broad enough to allow me to bring in a wide number of elements in the collection – fabric textures and prints, while having a clear theme definition to design a cohesive collection.
Photo: Courtesy of Baruni
A USUAL DAY IN FADWA’S LIFE
Fadwa: My days are very full and often begin and end with calls to our factories in the region, Asia and to our showrooms in the US. Coordinating our manufacturing and sales across several countries, makes for long days as the business day changes time zones.
After my early morning calls and seeing my daughter off to school, I visit our workshop and review progress on samples or production, depending on which stage of the process we are in – usually we deal with at least three seasons at the same time. I like to be involved in all the details of product development and manufacturing. Quality is about attention to detail and I spend a large amount of my time working to make sure the quality of Baruni is clear in all the garments we make.
Throughout the day I will also be working with bloggers, our consultants and others to get our message out about the current or upcoming season. I rarely finish before 9pm on a normal day – but if you ask me, there is nothing else I would rather be doing.
Photo: Courtesy of Baruni
THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Fadwa: Although social media is important for brand recognition these days, it is equally important to be selective and careful in how the brand is presented and endorsed.
Over the last 3 years or so, Instagram and bloggers have proven to be a valuable tool in supporting the brand’s communication strategy and we have worked hard to build a clear profile for the brand on this platform.
FADWA’S FALL ‘MUST-HAVES’ & WARDROBE ESSENTIALS
Fadwa: In my opinion the metallic jacket / coat could be the piece that glues any wardrobe together. It can be worn casually with jeans or over a more dressy piece. The mustard yellow jumpsuit is another ‘must-have’ piece.
Photo: Courtesy of Baruni
Photo: Courtesy of Baruni
Follow Baruni: @baruni_fashion