Born in Medina and trained as pharmacist, Samira Al Yousef discovered her passion for fashion in a very familiar, beautiful environment: her own birth place – with its tribal traditions, ancient customs of Saudi Heritage, she is inspired by her ancestors’ way of life in the desert, colourful textures in local embroidery, and all the historical details of the mud houses & traditional villages.
Samira embarked on a marvellous cultural journey with her relative, the famous contemporary artist Mohammed Farea and quickly became the perfect creative team using a mélange of visions to bring Saudi aesthetics to the Western red carpets of art and culture.
Al Yousef ‘s collections, haute couture or pret -a- porter, bridal or ready to wear are not only very modern and purposefully designed for the everyday, but are also very glamorous too, with just the right amount of traditional, ancient flair, adapted for our times.
Samira is one of the cultural ambassadors promoting the Saudi heritage, bringing to us not only the modern Saudi art and culture but a real message of beauty and friendship worldwide. She creates fashion as a love letter to her hometown.
Dear Samira, from pharmacy to fashion is a long way…?
A long and complex one but very joyful too. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to mix the two activities with the same creativity and devotion.
How do you describe the Saudi fashion industry?
Dynamic. Innovative. Challenging. Motivating. Inspirational.
How do you describe your own fashion creations?
As pure Saudi Arabian! I’m inspired by my own heritage, landscape form, colours of sands and palms, my fashion collections are bringing a very strong touch of traditional heritage but in a very glamorous, modern style!
As a woman designer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, do you have a special artistic language?
Of course. I always think how to design and translate my environment into my collections. I am very courageous, not extravagant but very courageous. You can recognize the history of, Catt” traditional motives in all my dresses, the colours and forms of the mud houses, that old Saudi heritage of painted walls in my region, you can even smell the palms, the desert roses or the buhour… Everything is here in my design, in my collections. Of course I have my special artistic message… and this: look, my signature is a Saudi signature, a symbol of my own identity and old heritage.
You are using very bright colours, brilliant. Do you have a favourite colour, representative for your fashion creations?
I am in love with bright colours. Positive energy. Especially now when our nation, our society, are celebrating the essence of transformation. Women are developing numerous projects; we participate so much active at all levels. I am using joyful colours to express my personal joy, admiration, enthusiasm, love for the beautiful time of our present. My collections in fact are celebrating our present and the future, the Saudi Kingdom, my home, my inspiration. We live great times and we enjoy it with great creativity and great aspiration.
Text by Monica Mergiu
