Welcome to Jordan, where the historical sites are by the dozen and where the fashion scene is booming. It wasn’t long ago that we were introduced to a new addition to the ever-so famous big fashion four: New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. Yes, turns out that Jordan was hiding its passion for fashion that has now blossomed into Jordan Fashion Week.

But who’s really the lady behind this new initiative? Meet Shirine Rifai, the founder of Jordan Fashion Week in collaboration with the W Amman. Having an already-established strong grip on Jordan’s fashion scene, the Amman-based designer combined her entrepreneurial flair and her knack for fashion to create a little something that could ultimately be a platform for strong emerging talents. With a rich experience in the fashion industry and impeccable style, who better than the luxury consultant to bring such a great fashion initiative to fruition ?

And so, Rifai takes us through the process that led her to establish this endeavor and much, much more!

1-   You have a degree in law; how did you make the shift to the world of Media and Fashion?

Fashion has always been a hobby of mine, and therefore, my interests led me to the media and fashion industry as a Fashion Editor and an Editor- In- Chief. My Law background still proves to be very beneficial in my career, allowing me to be more outspoken, patient and persistent. It has also taught me to be a good negotiator, as the need to be bold as a lawyer is a must when it comes to dealing with the fashion industry.

2-   You’ve been recognized as one of the Top 20 Best Instagram Fashion Accounts to follow in the Middle East. What do you think is the role of social media in the world of fashion and how do you use it to your own advantage?

Social media is changing the way we do business. It’s actually changing what businesses we’re into to begin with. Social media is an essential component to any business strategy and therefore, forward-thinking organizations understand the value in shifting from traditional engagements to progressive models. As far as I’m concerned, the whole concept of social media has given my clients the ability to upsell and cross-sell existing customers. But it has definitely added a lot more pressure on me as well, as an influencer. At the end of the day, it’s my job and I love it because I’m constantly challenged to provide new content and to come up with creative concepts – all the while giving my viewers an added value. I do, however, try to maintain a balance between the different facets of social media, so that my personal life doesn’t get compromised.

3-   Could you tell us more about Jordan Fashion Week? How did you first come up with the initiative to highlight the country’s hard-working creative minds?

Jordan Fashion Week is a fulfilled platform that aims to provide an extraordinary impact over the local talents and creative minds, to cement Jordan’s presence in the fashion industry. The initiative aims at surpassing the ordinary by formulating humanitarian efforts, tackling economic issues to support tourism, and finally at being a platform for local designers to expand globally.

The idea of this platform first came when I witnessed the blatant lack of support and publicity to all the local talents that we have in Jordan.  Considering my passion for fashion – the kind that reaches the whole world – I have always wondered why there weren’t any Jordanians and why we weren’t exposed to the outer world, despite the countless of talents we have. And that’s basically how the story started!

4-   How do you feel this initiative strengthens the influence of local fashion in Jordan’s economy and hence attracts more global interest?

I’ve always had this dream to electrify the fashion scene in Jordan by building a vital platform to highlight the local talents; therefore, I have targeted all my time, energy and dedication in order to study every corner of this industry and to ultimately discover said talents. And here we are today, armed with a strong vision and an even stronger platform, to encourage young local talents to spread their creativity within this field while offering job opportunities and inspiration to the whole community.

5-   What did you expect from Jordan Fashion Week?

Jordan Fashion Week aims to embody the fashion industry in Jordan and to combine the worlds of fashion, art, music and culture into one single melting pot; a melting pot where innovative runway shows, presentations and distinguished entertainments are hosted in the aim of bridging the consumer-related relationships between designers and buyers within local, regional and international levels.

6-   Do you have any advice for emerging local designers?

Yes! The fashion industry is a very competitive environment however, I believe in empowering oneself with education, knowledge and passion – all of which are the keys to success. Always look for inspiration around you, don’t stop the inspiration-flow going as it allows you to constantly move forward.

I also believe it’s very important for a designer to perfectly understand his/her brand and to have a clear vision and understanding of what’s to achieve before embarking on an ever-so empowering journey. 

Article Written by Cindy Menassa