The Baruni Collection offers beautiful designs and sophisticated fabrics as unique as you for every occasion. Designer details and ready-to-wear ease are combined flawlessly.
We sat down with Fadwa Baruni, designer of Baruni apparel to ask her some questions about her up and coming brand.
When did you start your brand and what inspired you to do so?
What is your background and how does that inform your design process?
Fadwa: I started my brand in 2009 because I finally had enough of wishing that I had followed my own choices when I was young but still had not done anything about it.
I grew up in a professional family in North Africa and when I demonstrated that I should go into fashion (by cutting up my mother’s curtains to make dresses), it was explained to me that I could be a doctor or lawyer or engineer, but not a fashion designer.
So I spent ten years training and working as an engineer.
What is your background and how does that inform your design process?
Fadwa: Initially I start by developing the theme based on a clear idea or inspiration. This can be anything from landscape to animals - I have used flamingoes and jellyfish as inspirations in the past. Then I work on colours and shapes based on this theme. Fabric selection and sketching are next followed by design, sampling and initial shows.
How would you define your aesthetic?
Fadwa: There is a fair degree of variation from collection to collection but clearly there is a consistent ‘look’ which captures the aesthetic. I would say it tends to favour a light and flowing look but I always work to build in a unique characteristic in each piece, either in the structure of the design or in the fabric. I aim for a clean cut and always work with a strong attention to detail.
Describe your process, from sourcing to end product, is your process unique in some way?
Fadwa: I work especially hard on sourcing fabric and try where I can to look for sustainable materials. These are still rare at a quality I need but I use as much as I can. I travel to the sources in Europe and the Far East mainly and work my way through thousands of samples to find fabrics that match the theme and the quality I need. For many collections I design my own fabric and have it made exclusively for Baruni.
Training as an engineer had a significant impact in the way I thought about technical problems and designing and assembling a dress is basically a technical problem - this is reflected in the distinctive Baruni profile and silhouettes of the brand.
How would you define your aesthetic?
Fadwa: There is a fair degree of variation from collection to collection but clearly there is a consistent ‘look’ which captures the aesthetic. I would say it tends to favour a light and flowing look but I always work to build in a unique characteristic in each piece, either in the structure of the design or in the fabric. I aim for a clean cut and always work with a strong attention to detail.
Describe your process, from sourcing to end product, is your process unique in some way?
Fadwa: I work especially hard on sourcing fabric and try where I can to look for sustainable materials. These are still rare at a quality I need but I use as much as I can. I travel to the sources in Europe and the Far East mainly and work my way through thousands of samples to find fabrics that match the theme and the quality I need. For many collections I design my own fabric and have it made exclusively for Baruni.
Is there a social/cultural/ecological etc…message that you are wanting to express or exemplify with your brand?
Fadwa: The essence of the brand is about making women stand out in any crowd, yet feel very comfortably confident. So if I have a mission it is about empowering women!
What type of person are you designing for?
Fadwa: The Baruni customer is unlikely to be a teenager but we seem to cover every other age from 20's to 70's. The core customer base is made up of women who tend to be independent and may be working, and are looking for a step beyond high street brands to create a unique image for themselves.
Is there something that has inspired you in your life that you would like to share with others?
Fadwa: I think I have to say, my husband - he has supported me throughout my career in fashion through all the challenges and I think that kind of quiet consistent support is inspirational.
What advice would you give to other designers or small business owners that are trying to make it in the fashion world?
Fadwa: Be very determined to succeed and persistent, working hard to understand your customer- it is a very competitive world out there and you need to find your niche.
Fadwa: The essence of the brand is about making women stand out in any crowd, yet feel very comfortably confident. So if I have a mission it is about empowering women!
What type of person are you designing for?
Fadwa: The Baruni customer is unlikely to be a teenager but we seem to cover every other age from 20's to 70's. The core customer base is made up of women who tend to be independent and may be working, and are looking for a step beyond high street brands to create a unique image for themselves.
Is there something that has inspired you in your life that you would like to share with others?
Fadwa: I think I have to say, my husband - he has supported me throughout my career in fashion through all the challenges and I think that kind of quiet consistent support is inspirational.
What advice would you give to other designers or small business owners that are trying to make it in the fashion world?
Fadwa: Be very determined to succeed and persistent, working hard to understand your customer- it is a very competitive world out there and you need to find your niche.
