From Home Curtains to a Fashion Brand | My TEDx Story | Rawan Besomi | TEDxMEU

Key Concepts

Fashion design, modest wear, social media influence, entrepreneurship, perseverance, self-belief, differentiation, overcoming challenges, brand building, customer needs, inspiration, hijab fashion, personal style, business growth.

روان بسومي: From Accounting to Fashion Design

Early Life and Passion for Fashion

روان بسومي, a fashion designer and social media influencer, recounts her journey from a 13-year-old girl sewing in her room to a successful entrepreneur. From a young age, she loved clothes and fashion, spending much of her time in her room creating outfits.

Choosing Accounting and the Turning Point

Despite her passion, she pursued accounting in university due to her aptitude for mathematics and parental guidance. She acknowledges that 70% of people work in fields they don't enjoy, and she initially seemed to be heading down that path. The turning point came when she was preparing for her wedding 12 years ago. She found a lack of modest clothing options in the market, which was a common problem for women wearing the hijab at the time.

The Wedding Dress Challenge

This lack of options led her to design and create her own wedding attire, including her engagement dress, wedding dress, and trousseau. She specifically highlights the challenge of designing her "قرأه فاتحه" dress. She went to the fabric market in البلد, selecting a bold combination of fuchsia satin, orange chiffon, bronze "باياتي", and green "بلت". The fabric seller questioned her unconventional choices, but with her mother's encouragement, she proceeded and created a stunning dress that she felt was ahead of its time.

From Accountant to Fashion Entrepreneur

After getting married, she worked as an accountant in a school. However, she felt unfulfilled by the monotonous nature of the work. While wearing her self-designed modest clothing to work, she received compliments and requests from parents to create similar pieces for them. This sparked the idea of starting her own fashion business.

The Bolero Inspiration and Launching the Business

The catalyst for launching her business was her dislike of "بوليرو" jackets, which were popular at the time. She decided to create her own version of modest jackets. She quit her accounting job, closed the "دفتر المحاسبه", and opened a "دفتر الفاشن". She started her business from her home, buying a small clothing rack and experimenting with fabrics.

Social Media and Brand Building

She used social media, particularly Facebook (starting in 2014), to showcase her designs and connect with customers. She recalls receiving both positive and negative feedback, including criticism about her unique and sometimes unconventional designs. Despite the negativity, she persevered and opened her first small store (28 square meters) in 2016, funded by her savings.

Expanding into Social Media Influence

Customers began asking about her personal style and beauty tips, leading her to create a separate social media account under her own name. She shared her daily outfits and personal style, which resonated with many women, especially those who wore the hijab. She received messages from women who were inspired by her style and even started wearing the hijab because of her influence.

Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success

She emphasizes that her journey was not without challenges. There were days when she felt discouraged and questioned her path. However, the feeling of success after overcoming these challenges made it all worthwhile. From a small home-based business, she expanded to a 28-square-meter store and now owns a 350-square-meter store offering a wide range of modest wear.

Addressing Customer Needs and Expanding Product Line

She expanded her product line to include everything from jackets and dresses to wedding gowns and swimwear for women wearing the hijab. She identified a need for stylish and modest swimwear and created a solution that allowed women to feel confident and fashionable at the pool. She also started creating ready-to-wear outfits based on her personal style, catering to customers who wanted to replicate her looks.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

She concludes with advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly young women in university. She emphasizes three key principles:

1. الإيمان (Belief): Believe in your idea and yourself. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
2. المثابره (Perseverance): Work hard, be persistent, and take initiative.
3. الصبر (Patience): Be patient and understand that success takes time and effort.

She also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to be unique and differentiate themselves from others. She emphasizes the importance of not copying others and finding your own unique style and voice. "كونوا مميزين بليز دونت كوبي اني و انت غير الله خلقك غير" (Be unique, please don't copy anyone, you are different, God created you different).

Conclusion

روان بسومي's story is one of passion, perseverance, and self-belief. She transformed her love for fashion and her personal need for modest clothing into a successful business and a platform for inspiring and empowering women. Her journey highlights the importance of identifying a need in the market, embracing social media, and staying true to oneself.