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Mona Mohanna

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Of Lebanese heritage, Mona Mohanna was born in Lebanon in 1970. Moving to Italy in 1989, she attended the prestigious Reggio Emilia school in Calabria to pursue her education in fashion planning and production. Presenting her first collection of linen dresses through the VISIONS handicraft Initiatives fair in Florence in 1999, the collection was entitled “Controlled Seduction”, exploring the relationship between Muslim women and seduction, and embroidered by Palestinian refuges in the Sidon and Tyre refugee camps. “My designs pull upon multiple traditions.I use Palestinian Embroidery and Arab Traditional textiles and beads.”

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The collection now encompasses a wide range of Caftans, robes, jackets and coats, richly embellished with traditionally inspired embroideries, woven from Pakistani linen, silk and cotton, and produced in a dizzying array of colours. Many of the materials are sourced in Syria, including the traditional hand loomed silk, and the recycled glass beads. Traditional designs are reinterpreted for modern Western needs, with styles such as the Abaya, a short men’s robe retranslated for the female form and made from the finest wool gauze. Long flowing caftans skim the body in shimmering silk shantung or rich jewel toned silk seersucker. Jackets are adorned with rich embroidery in floral or geometric designs, reminiscent of rich Persian carpets in their bold use of colour and pattern. Mona also produces a wide range of shawls, wraps and scarves, knotted, twisted, beaded and embroidered to compliment the collection.

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The philosophy behind Mona Mohanna’s collection is the fusion on Western and Arab cultures. The fundamental characteristic of her work is her ability to harmonize the traditional techniques and materials of the Middle East with the needs and preferences of women from the West. Her designs leave enough room for the talented Arabic embroiderers to freely express themselves through their work, as well as develop and stretch their skill set. Guaranteeing fair pay and good working conditions, women from the Palestinian refugee camps, are encouraged to be creative, while working mostly from home, to allow them to spend time with their families while still working. The motivation behind establishing the label was the end of the war in Lebanon, with so many young Lebanese leaving the country, Mona wanted to share her own experiences and skills with her fellow citizens to encourage them to stay in Lebanon.

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The collection has a base range of popular styles, which remain constant, with colours and fabrics changing seasonally and new designs supplementing the collection each seasonal. Mona Mahonna’s collection of clothing, shawls, scarves, bags and jewellery sells across Italy.

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Website: www.monamohanna.it