EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Lilian Afshar

L'afshar is a new Middle Eastern brand of acrylic clutches. Lilian Afshar, the girl behind the new concept, is a British born Iranian currently living in Dubai after calling both Vancouver and Marbella home. While working on her final collection at ESMOD Dubai, she needed accessories to accompany the clothes so she designed her own original clutches. They were well received so she developed them into a brand and added more colors, et voila... L'afshar is produced locally in Dubai which is truly something to be proud of and respected.

Here's my exclusive:

F:Who is Lilian Afshar?
L:I'm into arts, painting, and yoga. I love making my own prints. I'm a shoeaholic; traveling and exploring feeds my soul.

F:When did you know that fashion was a part of your life?
L:Since I was 4. I would cut out and collage my own magazines. Then at 6 years old, I started collecting buttons. I must've had over hundreds of buttons!

F:You design fashionable clutches, could you elaborate and tell us more about how you started and most importantly why you decided to dive into such a competitive business?
L:I was studying fashion design and pattern drafting. During my graduation the idea of the clutches appeared, after graduation I decided to continue and evolve the clutches since I was getting a lot of inquiries and orders.

F:How did you excel at presenting your clutches as the new 'IT' bag and why did you want to price them reasonably?
L:It all just happened naturally, I think the bug logo plays an important role in this collection also the different sizes too.
I wanted my clutches to be accessible, as they are perspex I don't see why they shouldn't be accessible.

F:What inspires you?
L:Art.

F:5 years from now, what do you want your line to be known for especially in the Middle East?
L:An inspirational and avant-garde brand. known for handbags and clutches. Maybe even shoes! Who knows?!

F:What was the first handbag you ever owned?
L:The Christian Dior Denim Canvas Saddle Bag back in 2003.

F:What are your favorite cities? (list your favorite restaurants and shopping spots in each city)
L:One of my all time favourite restaurants is called Casa Cri in St Tropez.
I love LA, Matsuhisa is a must try. For shopping its definitely Melrose Avenue.

F:What do you do to relax and unwind after a stressful week?
L:Get a massage or stay at home and catch up on the latest TV shows. I'm a bit of a show addict.

F:List 3 items that are always present in your bag?
L:Burt's Bees Hibiscus tinted lip balm, Chanel double perfection lumiere powder, and some hand sanitizer.

F:Blogs are very 'in' these days, do you follow any fashion blogs?
L:Not really, I like to catch up on the latest fashion news on WWD.

F:Obviously you're stocked in the UAE, but are the other GCC countries on the horizon or are you thinking about international recognition first?
L:I'm currently stocked in Jeddah and will soon be stocked in Beirut and Amman. I think middle eastern based  brands should break into the market here before thinking internationally. The growth of the brand should be organic.

F:Could you take pictures of your favorite outfits, a

casual look and a night out look.

L:

For more information visit: www.lafshar.com