Friday March 29th, 2024
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Nawa3em: Purses That Pop

Mae Alyan recently found her calling creating statement bags - and we're really glad she did because Nawa3em offers pieces are perfect for completing an outfit, with their adventurous colours and designs.

Staff Writer

If there are two things in this life that girls love, it's bags and shoes. During our Instagram travels, the timespans of which are ever-increasing as Ramadan continues, we came across Nawa3em, a brand that boasts great bags that make a statement. Their designs vary, from streamlined pieces in electric shades, to chic shoulder bags to, to creative clutches with an Oriental infusion, all of them featuring bold, vivid colours.

The brand was launched in 2011 by Mae Alyan. "The idea was conceived on my birthday," she tells us. After being asked by her husband asked her what she wanted to do, she replied, "I'd love to have a career in fashion… and a week later we went to Paris to look for fabrics and accessories for the bags!" Since then, she's been consistently turning out pieces that guarantee someone will ask you where you got them from.

From bags that literally make a statement, with slogans such as 'I don't need to wear Gucci' and 'Helwa weh tenka', which Alyan cites as her current favourite (below), to bags that simply make a statement due to their vibrant aesthetics, every piece is a showstopper. Part of the brand's initial purpose was to counter the culture of the designer bag obsession (hence the Gucci reference). As opposed to the high-end bags many girls feel the need to carry, Nawa3em's bags are "pretty, but they are also quite unique, and they're attainable," Alyan says.

Inspired by "anything that is beautiful – art, photography, fashion shows, fashion blogs…" Alyan's creative process is as straightforward as "I think about something and then I draw it," she says. Her sketches are then taken to an artisan who turns the designs into actual pieces. The designs feature explosions of colour, from shocking pink to a turquoise and burnt orange mélange, making them the perfect companion to a basic outfit. We've got our eye on the hot pink, studded piece below.

Her upcoming collection is no exception to the colour rule, except this time, it's "inspired by Coca-Cola and Pepsi," Alyan tells us. "It's going to feature vintage Coke logos, billboards… just bits and pieces of everything from Coke and Pepsi…it's gonna be really funky!" The collection is still in the making, but we got a sneak peek at some of her inspirations below, and we can't wait to see the finished pieces!

You can check out Nawa3em's Facebook page here or follow them on Instagram @nawa3em_designs.