To don a Nadine Mosallam garment is to be draped in clothing made with love. Love is inherent to her eponymous brand, which was founded during lockdown. It’s why Mosallam departed from the chaos of London for a few months in favour of Egypt, where her family is from, to create her latest collection. ‘I was around family, I was around friends and I ate so much good food all the time,’ says Mosallam, fresh from her recent trip and in the confines of her East London studio. Spending the bulk of time reconnecting with loved ones was the driving force behind her SS23 collection with pieces named after the locations and women that hold a special place in the designer’s heart. ‘The process of it felt honest and wholesome. I felt like the factory workers became my family.’ Her core team, although small, was robust and consisted of Mosallam, a seamstress and pattern cutters.
An affinity for 1990s silhouettes and minimalist, form-fitting garments is what has led stars such as Alva Claire, Taylor Russell and Jill Kortleve to gravitate towards Mosallam’s bespoke pieces which are made with intention. ‘I love [that] there was an element of simplicity during the 1990s era. That’s always been my goal when creating; I wanted to design timeless items I would wear and that also worked for multiple bodies. I’d like to think you could have bought something from me a few years ago, and it’d still be relevant today.’ First came her Overlocked dress during lockdown – a panelled cotton jersey dress that perfectly moulds to the body – which is still a customer favourite today. ‘I didn't know what to do with myself. I was without a job for seven months, and I really needed a job, so I made the Overlocked dress.’ Mosallam hasn’t looked back since.
One of her latest dresses – the ‘Sahel Slip’ – has a slinky fit and rich chocolate hue, emanating a hard-to-come-by nostalgic allure. It was a hot commodity, selling out instantly. Designed to flatter and follow the curves of the body, with inclusivity at the core of the label (sizes range from a UK 8-16, along with a custom service), Mosallam is certainly making waves. The Kuwait-born creative refuses to work to the unrealistic expectations the industry can place upon emerging designers. Instead, she’s keen to slowly and ethically build a business model that won’t leave her burnt out – a tough endeavour, she admits. ‘I don’t want to be limited to accessories, clothing, or anything – I want to create a world, but it takes time. I understood when I began [my brand] that my challenge was going to be my relationship with time. Everything's very sustainable, very slow and I use vintage and deadstock material. Once a piece is sold out, that’s it. It’s on to the next collection.’
Read Next
Mosallam who grew up in Dubai and followed the work of Roberto Cavalli and Alaïa on fashion TV channels, later went on to graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada and honed her skills under fashion heavyweights including Grace Wales Bonner. When it comes to her own designs, she’s all about straddling the line between fun and elevation. ‘I didn’t want to limit my pieces to just sexy dresses, because that's not who I am. I didn’t want to limit it to just tailoring because I’m not that serious either. I’m a little bit of both,’ she says, with a telling grin. ‘I wanted to make things you could just throw on and make you feel good.’
The creative’s ability to swing the pendulum both ways when it comes to her ready-to-wear stems from childhood. Growing up, she was immersed in a conservative culture but always knew she wanted to be creative. Heading back to Egypt to produce her summer collection was not only driven by the warmness welcoming her from her native home, it represented an opportunity for Mosallam to create pieces that reflected the woman she aspired to be from a young age. ‘To be a woman completely comfortable with herself and not caged by society’s expectations was always my desire. Egypt is an incredibly conservative country, and I created the most revealing collection. For me, it’s a ‘cherry on top’ moment.’
In the three years since launching her label, Mosallam has garnered a growing bevy of fans. It’s a community that believes in her vision, so much so that she often enlists them as models (she’s formed a close bond with one of her muses Luna Freddie, who has been a part of the Nadine Mos sisterhood since the brand’s infancy stage) and will host pop-ups in her space to get to know her clients outside of a phone screen. ‘I grew up around plastic surgery being the standard of beauty. My requirement for casting this season is that I had to have real girls involved. It’s truly about community for me. I want a Nadine Mos world where all the girls are in. All the girls: no limits, no expectations for entry – you just pull up and we do this together.’ When I enter her studio on the day of one of her pop-ups, I find myself in a light, airy space littered with awe-worthy ceramics made by Mosallam. I get a sense of the infamous warm energy that drives her designs. When you’re trying on garments, it feels as though you’re in your childhood best friend’s room or preparing for a night out with the girls – it’s easy and comfortable. If it’s community Mosallam is after, she’s certainly achieved it.
The Best Street Style From Copenhagen Fashion Week's AW25 Season
