GLOBAL YOUNG TALENT 2021: RUAA ELMANSURI | BRINGING TO LIFE THE FAIRYTALE WORLD WITH HER ETHEREAL DESIGNS

Ruaa Elamnsuri is a young fashion graduate who aims to reflect the idyllic stories from fairytales with her ethereal designs. The Lebanese designer’s work features intricate hand-printed designs mixed with strong boning and corset-details. As part of our Global Young Talent of 2021, we had the pleasure of speaking with the London College of Fashion designer about fashion, her most recent publication in Harper’s Bazaar and the magic of fashion.

What inspired you to specialise in Print design?

My strongest skill has always been illustration, and so I figured specialising in Print would allow me to experiment with drawing and further improve my skills, as I’ll have to spend a lot of the time in my studies creating artworks to print on fabric.

How would you describe your experience studying Fashion Textiles from London College of Fashion?

For the final project, I wanted to create work that’s effortless and brings joy and calmness to the viewer, as a celebration of coming to the end of my university years and for me to enjoy making work that I can be proud of and not stress about too much. A combination of wholesome Jane Austen movies and the entirety of summer of 2019 spent reading fables and stories by the Grimm Brothers and Disney adaptations and analysing them for my dissertation topic, all of this research inspired me to create the ‘Once Upon a Dream’ concept.

A combination of wholesome Jane Austen movies and the entirety of the summer of 2019 spent reading fables and stories by the Grimm Brothers and Disney adaptations and analysing them for my dissertation topic.”

“I believe this approach allows for an exciting outcome made from a variety of materials and mediums. When the clean, neat, digital look combines with the textured, rough hand made look, it really works together and fits my aesthetic.”

Using both traditional & digital materials and mediums, could you elaborate more on your design aesthetic and philosophy?

When combining both traditional and digital mediums, I can experiment with digital illustration, digital fabric printing or hand-drawn illustration with print techniques practised in the print studio. I believe this approach allows for an exciting outcome made from a variety of materials and mediums. When the clean, neat, digital look combines with the textured, rough hand made look, it really works together and fits my aesthetic.

What motivated you to create your latest collection ‘Once Upon a Dream’ and how would you describe the journey which has also influenced the created narrative in this collection?

I always pull inspiration from things that interest me such as history, art and pop culture, I start with researching perhaps a new exhibition at a museum, a musician with an iconic persona or a historic character with great influence. I connect different themes together to make an interesting concept to create interesting artworks for a fashion collection and delve myself into it till the final outcome of the project.

“I start with researching perhaps a new exhibition at a museum, a musician with an iconic persona or a historic character with great influence. ”

Discover Ruaa Elmansuri's full collection

Words by Lupe Baeyens