In Amina Galal’s Alley
Amina Galal graduated in Fashion Design from Parsons Paris in 2023. She has her own brand, Amina Galal, with which she won the ITS Fashion Film Award. Simultaneously, she is working at Louis Vuitton in menswear.
BY IMAN SALEM
Amina, I’ve known you for a while now, and I find your work “intentional.” How do you find purpose in an industry as controversial as the fashion industry?
Actually, this is something I really struggle with. I was supposed to attend Oxford Law, until I decided to study fashion. Right now, especially in the long days, I feel that what I’m doing is useless, and maybe I should have a bigger purpose. I’m only making clothes, who needs more clothes? But I found meaning in making fashion, having a purpose in my clothes. This is why for my thesis, I worked with four women artists from Egypt; they gave the project a purpose, with the value of their craftsmanship. I always try to dig deep and find a story that’s meaningful to me, and might resonate with other people. For my thesis, for instance, the idea was the deculturation that Arabs see in their culture.
One thing I loved about your work is how you glorify your roots. Your thesis collection “In Our Alleys” is an ode to modern Egypt. How does your Arab heritage contribute to shaping your fashion identity?
100%! I think being Arab is my identity, my personality trait! I feel it’s the first thing you see in me. And I think it’s good because we lack that in the fashion industry. We have a very distinctive and unique culture and that’s our strength, our selling point. Our amazing craftsmanship and cool culture is my engine of inspiration. I would need four lifetimes to actually get through to all the stories, the subcultures, the looks of Arabic culture. The stories are so fabulous. The twists are so different. The craftsmanship, the art, the communities are so rich there’s no way to get bored of it.
So how does an Egyptian girl that lived around the world end up working in the same room as Pharrel Williams?
I had my first conversation with him last week. I didn’t tell him that I’m Egyptian, but I really can’t wait to tell him that, because his Instagram bio says “Son of a Pharaoh.” It’s funny because his dad is actually called Pharaoh, and I really want to tell him I’m the real daughter of a pharaoh. It’s a really stupid joke, but it would be awesome.
Speaking about success, you graduated in May 2023, and you’ve already been nominated for 2 awards. Can it be stressful to be so recognized so early in your career?
I don’t feel I got a successful start in my career, because when those competitions were taking place I was stressed about not getting an internship. When I went to Fashion Trust Arabia, I didn’t win, and the event got canceled, so I didn’t really get the moment of fame. You know, it’s actually funny, because my thesis jury didn’t like my process. But then, I was talking with one of my professors afterwards and he told me that you’ll see so much of this in fashion. “People talk based on their own aesthetic. You have four people in the jury, four different aesthetics. Yours was not theirs.” Maybe that’s actually a good thing. So I never really felt like what I’m doing is revolutionary because it didn’t start with the best foot. You need to always feel like there’s more to achieve.
One of the awards you won is the ITS Fashion Film Award, how do you believe fashion and film complement each other as creative mediums?
It’s so important, especially for young designers, to show their clothes moving. When you design clothes, you imagine it on a person, and in motion. Pictures and even seeing garments on hangers is very limited.
You need to see clothing in motion, to see how they move, and react to a body. When you’re a young artist, and don’t necessarily have a budget, film is a very strong tool to showcase a story, and push a narrative; it allows you to handle your brand’s storytelling.
Have you always known that your work was going to be socially and politically engaged?
Yes, because I grew up in a family of diplomats. Politics have always been a very hot topic at home. I grew up traveling, which encouraged me to engage with different stories in the world and become a very socially engaged person. I always volunteered and engaged in my upbringing. So I always knew that this is something that fuels my passion and links it with my craft. ■
This story is from the second issue of Later, the alumni magazine.
Editor: Iman Salem @imannsalem
Art Director: Giulia Tacchi @giulytacchi
Photographer: Demir Ramazanov @demirramazanov
Art & Photography Assistant: Iman Salem @imannsalem
Talent: Amina Galal @aminaagalal https://aminagalal.com