Nabil Younes is a Paris-based luxury fashion designer. Many international celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Monica Bellucci, Sabah, Hend Sabry, Nelly Karim, and Haifa Wehbe have stepped out onto the red carpet in his gowns.
24Fashion.TV: Hi Nabil! Congratulations on the new collection! It's absolutely phenomenal!
Nabil Younes: Thank you very much, it was a lot of work!
Can you please tell me a few words about your collection shown at Paris Fashion Week 2020?
I think it's a very beautiful collection, and I am very happy with it because it was very popular among my clients and we have seen very high demand for it! Also, we had the singer of the Parisian opera sing so the atmosphere was unforgettable!
Where do you usually find creative inspiration for your new collection?
I draw a little inspiration for new collections from observing fashion, from traveling, looking at windows in Paris, London, New York. From knowledge, from education. From the cinema of the era of Marilyn Monroe. I am also inspired by many outstanding actresses such as Angelina Jolie and others. And I also created a collection during this difficult period, which I called "Marilyn Monroe".
A model wearing a dress from Haute Couture Collection 2018 by Nabil Younes
Wow, that's impressive! When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career as a fashion designer?
I started getting into fashion when I was 5 years old. I enjoyed watching fashion shows, looking at fashion magazines, and drawing sketches. And this hobby grew up with me. As a five-year-old child, I already knew what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to devote my life to. I chose my profession at the age of 5.
That's unbelievable! What is fashion for you?
Fashion for me is life! And I am really happy that it so happened that I was lucky to live in the capital of fashion - in Paris! I have a dream to show my collection in New York. People there are dressed well and it's my dream to have a show in New York.
How is working in fashion different today than from when you started out?
Working in fashion today and before has a big difference. Previously, people dressed with great taste, in very beautiful elegant clothes, in evening dresses, in haute couture dresses. And now we don't see it. Big difference. Now we see clothes that are comfortable and simple. Nowadays, we can see beautiful dresses only on actresses at the Cannes Film Festival, at the Academy Awards or at the Venice Film Festival. Big difference! And before, every designer, couturier had many clients. And now everything has changed in the world and working in fashion has changed too. I create a lot of vintage evening dresses, and they are often handmade, naturally they are very expensive. There used to be a lot of clients for such dresses. And now their number is decreasing. But despite this, I still adhere to my traditions, creating high quality dresses, using French lace.
A model wearing a dress from Haute Couture Collection 2018 by Nabil Younes
What role do you think social media plays in fashion today?
Social media for fashion plays both a positive and a negative role. Before social media information and photos of collections were sent to fashion houses, regular customers and shops only in paper form, targeting clientele, those who could afford exquisite, expensive luxury things, and the client knew me personally and could call personally but now with the advent of the Internet, social networks, everything has changed, information and photos of collections, including contacts of the couturier, can be seen everywhere. This is both good and bad. Good, because the collections are seen by many more people. It's bad because I don't know who is calling me, maybe the person saw the photo and is interested just out of curiosity. It's also bad because more and more fakes are created with the availability of information.
A model wearing a dress from Haute Couture Collection 2018 by Nabil Younes
What is your favorite part about being a designer?
Despite the fact that people and society have changed, and fewer and fewer of those who wear luxury clothes, I cannot and do not want to do what I do not like, I really love manual work. I also love making sketches.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your clothes?
I think they love my outfits very much, any woman admires high-quality, beautiful, luxury things. They feel chic, classy and elegant in my dresses. I am sure that they adore things from my collection. I have many clients who wear my things for many years and things do not lose quality, it remains unchanged. The quality of my clothes has always been and will be a very important component for me. Thanks to this, I also have a very good reputation, and my clothes are bought by the stars with pleasure thanks to this reputation.
Nabil Younes presenting his Couture collection 2019 in Paris
What comes next for Nabil Younes?
I always look at the future positively. This year I worked very hard. I think 2021 will end this whole virus nightmare. Fashion, of course, will change, it's obvious. I also want to change. I have a lot of projects for 2021. I am already preparing a collection for 2021. And the new show will coincide with my birthday on January 21st. Every year I do shows on my birthday. I have a lot of projects for the next year. And I always try to think positively about the future. Of course, there are different days, one day is good, the other is not very good, and we are all vulnerable and sometimes sad, but this is life. And one must not lose faith in a positive future. Even if you didn't make money today, you will earn later. We must continue to do our job and everything will be fine.
We love your positivity and that we get to end on such a good note! Nabil, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview!
24Fashion.TV wishes you the best, and we will see you during the next Paris Fashion Week!
My pleasure.
By Galina Antonova,
Editor-in-Chief, 24Fashion.TV
