PHOTO BY MOEZ ACHOUR
Alaa Hashim Balkhy, a student at New York’s Pratt Institute and budding entrepreneur, declares in her Twitter profile: “I never wanted to work from 9 to 5 so I created Fyunka.” The illustrator states Pop and Khaleeji culture as influences for her authentic designs, which have garnered a cult following in the Middle East. Speaking to Alaa in Jeddah, Style.com/Arabia learns that the Saudi designer with a tongue-in-cheek take on luxury wares has global ambitions.
On Alaa’s Brand, Fyunka
I want to give people more insight to our culture. I want to focus on Arabic designs, rather than Western culture, and I want to take Fyunka global. I want to do trade shows and participate in Who’s Next. I am expanding in lifestyle categories, I am doing iPhone covers, and I want to do tableware and then diversify further.
In New York, people are so interested by the fact that I am an entrepreneur, that I have my own thing—I am from Saudi and they know nothing about it. I am happy to help change existing stereotypes into more positive ones. A lot of people ask, “I love your bag. Where is it from?” When they realize some designs are of an abaya, they say, “Oh, cool.” People like things that are new and it is cooler for them to have something from Saudi. As for my blog, I blog for me; I don’t monetize it. The goal of my blog is to showcase the designer behind the brand.
On Trends
I think—and I hope not to offend anyone—that in the Middle East, people think that just because they have money, they can be stylish. But it just doesn’t work that way. Everything is so corporate and everyone wants to be happy…the magazines, the buyers…but in New York, people don’t care. New Yorkers have their own style and it is not what is in the magazines. In the Middle East, everything we get is from abroad. The market in New York is saturated, but in the Middle East, there is a possibility for so many things. We just need time to create more.
On Her Radar
I love Vanina Design; it’s a Lebanese brand. They go to all the trade shows and they are doing very well. I love their branding. Everything is hand-made and a lot of their jewelry is made with Lebanese coins. I love the way they infuse elements of their culture. Brands need to source more from their respective cultures. I don’t get Middle Eastern brands that have their name in English. Everything is in English—there has to be a little bit of culture and character to make it stand out.
Ramadan Recollections
I grew up in Montreal, Canada, so most of my childhood was spent there. When I was younger, I didn’t understand why my family was the only one who had soup every day at sunset. As a child, I found it very confusing. However, when I moved back to Jeddah, that’s where the real fun of Ramadan began. Being close to family is truly a joy! Now, I look forward to gatherings, Arabic coffee, dressing up in kaftans for bazaars, late night conversations, and spending time with loved ones. Ramadan is a month of joy, reflection, and appreciation of everything we have. What I have learned from it is patience. Ramadan also invites us to look back at the past year to reflect on where you were and where you are now. As I look back, I think that moving to New York was my biggest challenge. Living in a new city is always hard and New York can be difficult. I’ve lived there for a year now but I’m very happy with my decision. I’ve also realized that nothing good comes easily.
