UAE-based fashion brand Autonomie focus on the concept of authentic storytelling, presenting a playful, bold, contemporary and fresh aesthetic to serve the dynamic and modern women. Founder and Creative Director Maha Ahmed launched a fashion brand after her fashion studies and experiences collected around the world. Through Autonomie, she inspires women around the globe, highlighting the female independence and beauty. We meet Maha to find out more about her vision for Autonomie, her learnings as a business woman, fashion industry and much more.
Maha, tell us about your greatest strength as a professional?
I think to have a successful fashion brand today as a designer you have wear many hats. You need to be a creative, you need to be a business-oriented person, you need to be constantly up to date with what’s happening around you and I think for me finding the balance between these factors is probably what helped us achieve what we did so far.
What inspired you to set up your business?
For me, I have a vision and a message that I wanted to share with the world. And I realized that you will never be able to communicate this vision or say what you want to say working for other brands. My brand is my form of self-expression and building a community around me of like-minded people.
How you got involved in fashion design industry and why?
I have been interested in art and design in general ever since I was a kid. Initially, after high school I wanted to study fine arts but ended up diverting to fashion instead and I fell in love. I have attended both ESMOD in Paris and Istituto Marangoni Milano and it was the best time of my life. I was able to express myself artistically and turn my vision into something tangible. For me artistic or creative self-expression is the only for me express myself.
What are the 3 most important things that people should know about Autonomie?
I think what’s really cool about the brand or what I tried to create is the story-telling part and the time of stories we tackle as well. Each story or collection in that case is inspired by the human experience that we can all relate to. Also, another important thing is sustainability and have a strong sense of responsibility to the environment, community and people in general when we work. Finally, the brand is on a path of growth so what we have done so far is not even a fraction of what we are aiming to achieve with the brand. There is definitely a lot more to come.
Is there something that you try to communicate through your designs?
So, as I mentioned the whole point of the brand is actually communication or story-telling. So yes, I am constantly communicating through my design or the story that I build in every collection. They’re all stories or concepts that are inspired from personal struggles or achievements or even of those around that touched me on a personal level. And this makes you feel like we are all the same at the end and are able to relate to one another more.
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What is your favorite part of being in the fashion industry?
The rush and the excitement for sure! This job or industry is anything but boring. There is always more to do, more to create. Pushing your own personal limits and boundaries.
You are a true multi-talent. What motivates you?
I think what initially motivated me is to find what I am capable of and what I can truly achieve. So it was a bit of a personal challenge. And then what keeps you going is actually seeing you’re achievements and knowing that as a creative you’re not done yet and you still have so much more to offer. So for me it’s a fun journey of self discovery.
All creative projects have their challenges. What challenges do independent brands like yourself face?
Yeah definitely! So many. It’s a very fast paced world that we live in today. People see something and they want it now and there’s something new almost daily. So for small/ independent brands to keep up with such pace is very tough.
Pictures: PR/ Maha Ahmed