Fashion courses in style

Passionate business woman and designer, Hamra Alam, is making dreams come true and helping to shape the kingdom’s fashionistas into future jewellers, illustrators or stylists through an intensive course, writes Mai Al Khatib-Camille.

Boasting more than 18 years of experience in fashion under her belt, she started a series of design courses to empower those wanting a career in the industry.

The classes are part of her venture Lights Camera Fashion (LFC), which acts as a platform for emerging talents and established businesses to share their experiences and promote themselves through networking events.

Hamra, who describes herself as a Brit of Persian/Asian heritage, said: “I love teaching fashion and I have been drawing forever. After finishing college in England I started teaching and spent a further two years in Pakistan when I married. It was great fun.
 
“I want to empower fashionistas of all ages to find their inner creative side and become future designers. They might want to become stylists, maybe jewellers, artists or illustrators.

“There is more to fashion than just opening a shop and selling. I teach the students how to find their style, build their brand, present themselves to fashion buyers and we do this by going on trips to the souq in Bahrain, factories in India and shows in London and Milan.

“We have a lot of talented individuals in the kingdom keen to find out more about their chosen careers.”

The design courses cover illustration and colouring, mood boards and fashion history, learning about branding, followed by the students creating their own designs and label to feature in Hamra’s upcoming social-networking events and fairs.

She said: “I have 21 students all after the same dream – to become designers. They spend two hours per day learning the ins and outs of the business such as drawing, finding the right style, understanding the difference between fabrics and the working of a factory, three times a week.

“I found a lot of interest from single mums and mature women. I also have men that want to be designers. I have students of different nationalities and ages enjoying the course. The youngest is my daughter Jannah, 13, and my oldest is 64.

“After completing a level, they will get a certificate of appreciation but if they do all three levels, then the student will received an accredited certificate from an international educational body in England.”

The students design will be showcased on the catwalk during Hamra’s Fashion Fair on June 12 at the Ramee Grand Hotel in Seef.

Hamra said: “At the fair, each designer will showcase a dress. I want to show how a student can accomplish so much in nine-weeks from just pencil and paper. Students will then get a certificate of appreciation at the end of the show.

“I’m also a voluntary fashion teacher at the Rehabilitation Institute of the Autistic Centre in Adliya and the students there will also be featuring their designs at the fair.”

Hamra’s Monday and Tuesday classes are held at the Dynamic Training Institute from 11am -1pm and 6pm to 8pm or at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa on Wednesdays from 11am-1pm or 6pm-8pm.

Each level costs BD900 and if students register before the June 12 show they will receive a BD100 discount. Payments can also be made in stages.

Hamra said: “We are very flexible with payment as the main mission is to help designers make their dreams come true. I also have a special fashion design ‘crash course’ for Ramadan starting from June 18 to July 20.”

While the fashion workshops keep Hamra busy, her goal is to open a specialist school in the future. She said: “My students will be able to achieve so much from this course. Aside from becoming designers they will be able to work with me in the near future because the next step is to open a Lights Camera Fashion Academy.

“We have not decided on a location yet, but we plan to launch the academy at the end of 2015 and it will be open to all ages from five to 55.”

For details on Hamra’s courses for adults and children, visit www.lightscamerafashion.net or contact 37773986.

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