Satellite Voices

Dubai

United Designers: Mona Fares

September 28, 2011

Satellite Voices introduces you to 15 new independent fashion names to know from the region

• Text by Kate Hazell

NEON EDGE is brightening up Arabian fashion. Satellite Voices speaks to the 26-year-old designer behind the collection dedicated to neon colours, Mona Fares.

Satellite Voices: What does being involved in United Designers mean to you?
Mona Fares: United Designers is a positive and innovative initiative for both Dubai and the UAE. I am honoured to be a part of this project which unites emerging designers and I believe it will give us great exposure within the Middle East fashion scene and eventually internationally.

SV: How would you describe your work?
Mona Fares: My designs are very neon, electric, bold and loud! NEON EDGE is for those contemporary fashionistas who seek to stand out from the crowd. My designs are targeted at trendsetters and fashion lovers who are daring enough to wear over the top and edgy pieces. 

SV: What do you think of local talent in Dubai’s fashion industry?
Mona Fares: In the UAE the design sector has flourished over the past five years with tons of new talents entering the fashion scene.  Fortunately, we do receive a lot of support from the smaller boutiques that keep many items of local based designers in stock. A positive element of the Arab fashion world is that new designers are constantly experimenting with design styles and trends. This means that the fashion arena is ever changing and always evolving.

SV: What does Dubai mean to you?
Mona Fares: I moved to Dubai with my family in 1987 when I was two. My father is Egyptian and my mother is German so I’ve lived in Dubai for 24 years and have acquired a deep sense of belonging for the local culture in which I grew up. Seeing Dubai grow from a desert into a cosmopolitan city within such a short time meant being exposed to a multicultural, dynamic and stimulating environment, which has formed the person that I am today, and is reflected in the art and designs I create.

Dubai is my home, my city, my soul. It is a diverse city of opportunity, which nourishes and nurtures young and creative entrepreneurs.