Making fashion accessible and comfortable for the modern woman is the secret behind the increasing success of well-known French fashion designer Jeremy Bueno.
Bueno is a Parisian fashion designer with Corsican and English origins who began sewing at the age of 6. After years of overcoming challenges, he has proven to be a strong force on the international fashion scene, winning several notable prizes. However, his success was not handed to him on a platter; Bueno studied fashion at the London College of Fashion and worked for the renowned Thierry Mugler Fashion House before launching his own collections.
In his latest dazzling show at the Ramses Hilton Hotel in Cairo, Bueno presented 35 pieces from his 2012 summer collection. The selection comprised a wide variety of styles and fabrics; simple strapless dresses that fall just above the knee, high-waisted dresses with long sleeves, and long, draped gowns that flow naturally to the floor with eye-catching embellishments. A feminine touch dominates all the designs, which show off the curves of the female body without being vulgar.
The success of the fashion show was in large part due to the intricate and delicate fabrics Bueno used, including silk, mixed silk, taffeta, satin, and metallic yarn.
Bueno used simple, chic hand-embroidered details on colorful gold, beige, bronze, purple, blue, grey, silver, green and red fabrics, enhancing the glamour of the creations.
The event was attended by a large number of public figures including ambassadors and celebrities, and the show was dedicated to some charity organizations.
Egypt Independent attended the show and had the opportunity to interview Bueno on his second visit to Egypt, his first being for a successful show at Cairo Opera House last year.
Egypt Independent: Have you ever been inspired by Egyptian heritage in your designs?
Bueno: I am often inspired by Mediterranean culture, but so far I haven’t created a collection for that. I am intending to create a collection inspired by Egyptian culture specifically in the near future. From my visits here, I can see that the country contains an extensive variety of inspirational sites and rich culture.
Egypt Independent: What inspires you the most?
Bueno: Everything. I rarely look into magazines or surf the Internet because it is pointless to get inspired by what has already been done. If you look through my past collections and even the new ones, there are always outlandish themes for each collection reflected in hairstyle, accessories, make-up and of course the designs.
Egypt Independent: What is the theme of your 2012 summer collection?
Bueno: My new collection is entitled “The Pirates” inspired by my origin, Corsica Island. The tiny details of each piece convey the free spirit and landscape beauty of where I was brought up.
Egypt Independent: What distinguishes your designs from others?
Bueno: I am on a continuing quest for balance between how women want to feel and look, and making my own mark on each new collection. Designing clothes that women can move in effortlessly and comfortably that look elegant is what my work revolves around.
Egypt Independent: What did you gain from your experience with the French Thierry Mugler fashion house?
Bueno: I worked for Thierry Mugler for six months only while studying in London, however it was an eye-opening experience. I stayed there for a short time, but it was long enough for me to get a broad vision of how a fashion house functions and seriously consider the step of launching my own label.
Egypt Independent: What do you think of Egyptian fashion houses and what do Egyptian fashion houses need to become international?
Bueno: I encountered fashion designer Hani al-Behairy when he came to my show last November. I really like his glamorous dresses. His designs are red carpet style and the embellishment is stunning. I don’t think Egyptian designers lack anything. I think local designers just need to be given more exposure on the international scene.
Egypt Independent: You are well known for your ribbon dresses, can you tell us the story behind it?
Bueno: When I was young student, I didn’t have enough money to spend on designing dresses. So, I always tried to find a way to make designs out of ribbons because of its affordable prices. At the very beginning, I made a dress overwhelmed with ribbons sewed on the fabrics. It turned out really well and since then it has become my signature.
Egypt Independent: When you hold a fashion show in a country that has different culture or background like Arab countries, do you introduce a design specifically for the event?
Bueno: No, but I definitely take into consideration the selection of dresses I display to make sure that it would make a good impression on the culture I am in. For Arab countries, I am keen not to display revealing designs out of respect for people’s culture and traditions.
Egypt Independent: What are your upcoming plans?
Bueno: My next fashion show is on 5 July for fashion week in Paris. I will introduce a new collection under the theme “Napoleon.” And I will return to Egypt in November 2012 to hold a show in Sharm el-Sheikh.
