Neat designs

Petite Mona Habib has carved out a blossoming sideline creating unique fashion designs after being spurred on by her parents.

Now the bubbling 25-year-old, who is an accounting graduate, is busy working for a leading telecommunications company and in her spare time trying to meet the growing demand for the latest offerings in her 'Hang It' label.

Mona, from Muharraq, said: "I have to thank my parents who always encouraged me to try and create my own range of clothes as they felt I had a gift for designing."

She was invited to showcase her work at an exhibition at A'ali Shopping Complex last December and was delighted to sell out everything on display.

A result, she says, really inspired her to continue and her work was once again a huge attraction at the recent Exquisite Fashion Show at the mall featured in GulfWeekly.

Mona admits to being a bit of a 'neat freak' as she likes her clothes hanging in order in her wardrobe and it helped conjure up the name for her label. She says she is also inspired by her favourite New York-based designer Marc Jacobs.

She said: "I would define my brand as smart casuals with a tinge of traditional appeal.

I have received a lot of interest since the exhibition and fashion show. I am currently working on 15 new designs for a boutique in Bahrain alongside another in Kuwait."

Mona also aims to take an additional course in tailoring to further polish her skills

She said: "I give my designs to a tailor but it never comes out just the way I want it. It gets hard to describe to someone else exactly what I desire."

A voracious shopper, Mona believes that her love of fashion started at an early age. She said: "I have always loved it ... this is not a confession of a shop-aholic exactly, but I cannot stop myself from assessing designs that I come across in the stores I visit!"

Add a business brain to her talent and Mona is set to accumulate fans around the world although setting up her own chain of outlets is one plan for the future.

Belonging to a family of bankers and business executives, Mona received a degree and diploma in accounting from the Lebanon American University. She said: "I am not sure if I will be able to manage a boutique just yet, but I will continue creating my designs and hope to have branches all over the world someday."