By Mia McManus

While Engineering and Fashion Design may present themselves as polar opposites, to Yasi Fayal, they have more similarities than differences. Both require coordination and creativity, and both require someone to design something out of nothing. This is why Fayal found it logical to switch to a career in fashion after receiving her degree in mining engineering. While, to her, it may be logical, it was anything but easy. Fayal has always craved a challenge, which led her to leave Iran, move to Italy, and enrolled in the Art Academy of Brera. Studying fashion design in a new country, new language, and new culture presented opportunities inside and outside the classroom: “life in Italy was also a lesson in art, in itself.”

Following her graduation, she founded her brand, MAANG. MAANG, which translates to moon, strays away from the clichés of fashion and creates unparalleled designs. Fayal loves to be bold and experiment with new and unconventional materials. She targets an audience who appreciates the uniqueness, artistry, quality, and timelessness of fashion. Taking inspiration from her engineering roots, Fayal bases her designs on geometric forms. She balances the mix of oriental patterns with contemporary styles. According to Fayal, “I think my background in engineering has led to a balance in my work, and I try to design functional clothes while keeping their artistic essence alive.”

Fayal is able to channel her worldliness into her designs as she points out an important topic through each of her collections. Most recently, she created a collection showcasing a world with no war, famine, forced migration, or travel bans. She uses the influence from several countries to show her solidarity as well as implementing white into all of the pieces to symbolize hope. Her ultimate goal is to convey a message to her audience through each collection. 

Her inspiration stems from all around: her surroundings and society, nature, thoughts and ideas that are in her mind, her dreams, the issues of women, their challenges, and their emotions. She advises anyone who may want to follow in her shoes to be creative – it is the most important quality one can exude when in this industry. Traveling, meeting and knowing different people, exploring and understanding new cultures, reading about arts, and dreaming all combine to make the recipe for inspiration. Fayal knows from experience that if you “follow your dreams, work hard, and trust yourself,” the possibilities are endless.

As a previous competitor of Pins and Needles and Fashion Anarchy, we cannot wait to see what Yasi Fayal constructs on July 30th.

Buy your tickets at www.brainchildevents.com to see more from her!