Wiam Salt, design process

Wiam Salt’s inspiration for her collection originated from British Female workwear focusing on the incorporation of the Yemeni culture; by using her awareness of the culturally accepted clothing styles. Wiam was able to create a stunning collection of garments suitable for the target audience. There are several main elements to the Yemeni culture such as the architecture, landscapes and clothing styles which were taken into consideration when creating the collection. The idea behind the collection was to create workwear that was culturally appropriate and would suit both a Yemeni and British women celebrating the cultures together.

The beautiful culture and sceneries of the country inspired Wiam to create garments for both Yemeni and British women who would feel commutable and happy to be celebrating other cultures.

Throughout the design process, Wiam elevated the traditional British female workwear and combined this with the Yemeni culture creating practical yet stylish garments suitable for the working environment. Wiam managed to use different types of fabric from luxurious silk to traditional Yemeni fabric adding pops of colour giving a refined finish for a professional yet on-trend look. Taking into consideration the needs of both a British and Yemeni women, Wiam designed scarfs for her collection adding a touch of flair to her looks with the alternative of styling it as a scarf, headscarf or a san accessory. Therefore, this stylish yet sophisticated take on British workwear has been adapted to not only include other cultures but also celebrate them with bright bold colours and the use of traditional fabrics and patterns.

Every garment created links to the original idea of expanding British female workwear. The use of the bold traditional Yemeni colours and traditional neutral shades of the British workwear create a powerful combination for a new female figure, allowing people the opportunity to look professional but maintaining aspects of their own individual personality. Wiam’s designs show how workwear can be made fashionable and wearable by different cultures and how the celebration of these cultures can be seen within the design, down to the fabric choice and finished product. The resulting products demonstrating how this merge of two cultures can be achieved with a stylish twist on what is typically a neutral attire that lacks personality and cultural appreciation