Over the past four years, young designer Amina Khalil has managed to break into Egypt’s ready-to-wear clothing market and create a wide base of avid followers for her Oriental chic line, Amina K. This year, her collection of muted seasonal colors and unusual fabric combinations is set to broaden the line’s appeal further.
Khalil launched her fall/winter 2012 collection at Zamalek’s trendy Left Bank last week, aimed squarely at the posh fashionistas of the neighborhood. At around 2:30 pm, the elegant bistro was bathed in sunshine, and the young designer and her administrative team were lounging comfortably, awaiting visitors and clients.
“Each and every season, I get the opportunity to explore and develop my skills as a designer,” says Khalil.
She says she is constantly motivated by the urge to create something innovative and strives to avoid going down predictable roads. Khalil always explores new fabrics and materials.
“For me, that unexpected shift is what it’s all about,” she says.
Khalil describes her new winter collection as a turning point for her brand name. She conquers the season of chills and glam with new fabric combinations that are sassy and daring, while keeping the soul of her designs, which is comfort and authenticity. Khalil stays true to herself and her name.
This season, Amina K is free of bright colors and prints. The designer turns to black, grays and browns as the main colors for the collection. Muted colors such as petrol, brick and teal also helped develop and highlight the mood.
There is a wide range of handmade knit pieces. Whether you’re looking for a rough leather vest, a feminine chiffon shirt, an elegant tailored jersey jacket or a chunky knit scarf, this collection has it all.
Khalil used leather, suede and handmade knit printed fabrics with abundance, combining them with chiffon, viscose and jersey.
The price range varies according to the fabrics used and whether the item is handmade. The price bracket is LE600–1,000 except for a hand-woven, two-faced long vest that costs more than LE1,200.
Khalil introduces two new mixes of fabric this season that are absolutely stunning; Klim with authentic leather and jersey with chiffon. Although hard to imagine, the end result is good. A few of the typical Amina K cuts and designs are still part of this quite original collection, mainly the vest and the short galabeya. Khalil has changed her boyfriend shirt into a feminine chiffon blouse that is figure-hugging and classy.
The collection shows the higher level of maturity the designer has reached in the last few years. It seems that Khalil is trying to widen her base of Amina K lovers and accommodate a more diverse fashion crowd.
The fuchsia and blue chiffon blouse is by this reporter’s favorite piece in this collection — elegant, fresh and feminine. Khalil also created a cardigan that may be the masterpiece of her collection: the jacket ruffle chiffon. She manages to incorporate jersey, chiffon, knit and leather in one piece, and the end result is absolutely beautiful.
