“We’ve always been astonished by how limitless the Pharaohs were, and we wanted to give everyone a piece of that”, says 25-year-old Egyptian designer Hanna Hazem, who’s created a North African spin on streetwear with her recently launched clothing label Ohanna.
Inspired by the grandiose history of Ancient Egypt, Hazem has made it her mission to push her feminist message in a bold but relatable way with her designs which are tailored for women on the go. Although streetwear is well anchored in today’s fashion vocabulary, it’s still a heavily male-dominated industry. Passionate about fashion since she first discovered fashion magazines as a child, her “vision” isn’t exclusively about clothes; it’s about women and the world. “We explore the idea of duality and the feeling of being more than one thing at the same time”, explains Hazem discussing how her country’s epic civilization has defined Ohanna’s DNA. “We nurture the harmony between what was and what can be”, she continues.
This ambivalence between the past and the present probably explains how Ohanna manages to be a brand that resonates with such a diverse group of women. “We’ve always been astonished by how fierce women were in ancient Egypt and we believe it’s something that needs to resurface”, she says. With her brand’s hybrid style, which is both comfortable and subtly refined and sexy, Hazem wants to make sure women can take on the modern world with power and confidence. Resolutely practical and feminine, the collection includes cropped sweaters, head-to-toe fleece separates, white-on-white jumpsuits and neon bodysuits. All in all, Ohanna embodies a mix of sporty lines and elegant fabrics – a direct reflection of Hazem’s feminist ideals.
