ByDuhaMohesen… a Jerusalemite Modest Fashion Studio

Jerusalem24 – It all started with a dreamcatcher, a talent, and an eagerness to create and be independent.

After four years of studying English and Translation at Birzeit University, Duha Mohesen, 27-years-old, found herself getting into something far from that major, a women’s modest fashion wear, ByDuhaMohesen.

“I started my business back in 2017, when I was a student, I wanted to start a business and have an income, I started with dreamcatchers after I wanted to buy one and found it expensive”, that dreamcatcher she made was the turning point for Duha after it got requested by many of her friends and people on social media

She says, “I tried to keep up with the trends around me, jewelry, keychains, so I started creating them, it grew day by day, so then I decided to go further and start my career as a designer”.

ByDuhaMohesen, modest fashion wear, for women who dress modestly or just are fashionable and looking for different and outstanding pieces. Creativity was obviously a talent Duha had, but her dedication and ethic to produce good quality pieces in the sea of fast fashion were what got her to where she stands now.

“I do everything by hand, designing patterns, the colors of the fabric, picking the fabric itself, I even participated in designing the logo, the packaging, I wanted everything to be perfect,”.

Authenticity can be seen in Duha’s designs, which are all posted on her Instagram account and worn by her, “Every time I create a design, I make sure it’s me, and that everything works perfectly,”.

Duha explains that when she decided to be in the field she needed to be different and create her own patterns, prints, and designs, “I was scared to be in this field, but when I started, I saw how eager people are to see such pieces in the market”.

As a Jerusalemite, she explains, Jerusalem can be seen in the identity of the items and designs -patterns are inspired by traditional Jerusalemite and Palestinian wear-, the city, she thinks, lacks designers in the business, even though there are many talented people, Jerusalemites who have skills and creativity, “but it can be hard for us as Jerusalemites to launch the businesses with the expenses and taxes, add to that, everything is not approachable and affordable. However, I encourage people with talent and skill to go for it, you will find yourself and path”.

Duha says that it was hard for her to start in such a market, due to fear of not fitting in, “it’s a large market full of fast fashion and products from China and different countries, my business was small, but making the patterns manually, doing everything out of nothing is what made my work different,”

ByDuhaMohesen is growing, something she knew since the day she started it, now Duha is about to hire people.

Duha started working on her Ramadan collection 2 months prior to the month, she says her designs are “chic, elegant and women can wear them during the gatherings in this holy month”. The designs are taken from the Abaya dress, a simple, loose over-garment essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Muslim world, Duha adds her touch to the designs by incorporating patterns and prints used to be worn in Palestinian and Jerusalem traditional wear.

ByDuhaMohesen is now working on her Eid collection, which she will be sharing and selling through her Instagram page.

https://soundcloud.com/24fmpalestine/vibes-doha-muheisn