By Jules Lavallee
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 09/16/2020- House of iKons Fashion Week London live shows have pulled in over 1,000 people per day in attendance, with private clients, buyers, department stores, and boutiques, also in attendance, high-net-worth guests. On Saturday, September 19th at 8 PM PST, the show will be offered on their digital platform. www.houseofikons.com Inci Hakbilen will showcase their designs in the Kurdish solo segment “The hidden beauty of Kurdistan” represented by Zarya Azadi.
Interview with Inci Hakbilen originally from Haymana, Kurdistan now based in Hamburg, Germany.
How did you start your journey?
I started sewing when I was very young, at the age of 13 to be precise. Due to not having any kind of fabrics I took simple things like newspaper to make clothes out of it. Even though they didn’t look the best I still wore it with pride since I did them all by myself. My parents were actually against me becoming a designer; they wanted me to study something different – something that would guarantee me constant stability. But that didn’t stop me from doing what I love and always dreamt of. So I persuaded my parents and went to university to get a degree as a fashion designer. My thrive to push through was that I wanted to show the world the beautiful colours that represent my heritage – Mesopotamia – and bring them closer to the fashion world.
Tell us about the Kurdish solo segment “The hidden beauty of Kurdistan” represented by Zarya Azadi at the House of iKons.
Miss Zarya Azadi is a Kurdish model with a lot of experience. It peaked my interest in her especially with the work I do and so I place my trust in her. I hope that her work will be effective and that it will open a new gate for a new generation of designers. I am touched by her project and hope that it will be a memorable event.
Tell us about the upcoming London Fashion Week and the House of iKons. Why is this show so important to you?
The most important fact about the London Fashion Week is that this is not only a new milestone and a huge opportunity for me but also for other Kurdish designers. They get a chance to see that anything can be possible. I want to show the world the beautiful and different colours of Mesopotamia as well as the traditional Kurdish dresses in a modern twist.
What do you enjoy the most about being a designer?
My clothes are like my own children. I make each and every single one of them with a lot of love and precision. Sometimes it’s even hard to separate from them, like it’s hard to let go of your grown up children. But at the end the most beautiful thing to see is the smiles on the faces of my customers and it fills me up with joy.
Describe your designs in a sentence.
You can describe my work as a modern reflection of the traditional, colorful and splendid Kurdish evening dresses.
