Jewelry Designer Alia Khafaga Makes Her Mark
BY MAGHIE GHALI
![[Courtesy of Alia Khafaga]](http://www.auccaravan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/sIMG_5474-e1427735786733.jpg)
Award-winning jewelry designer Alia Khafaga, an AUC graduate, is now celebrating her success with a new season coming out this summer and with plans to take her glittering statement pieces abroad.
Her self-titled jewelry line helped her win Best Egyptian Jewelry Designer at the Jumia Fashion Awards in 2014, Egypt’s first annual fashion awards event held in Cairo.
Jumia started as a fashion blog known as Jumia Chic, the first online Egyptian site for both genders of all ages in fashion and lifestyle.
Her pieces have adorned well-known Egyptian actresses such as Donia Ghanem and Amina Khalil during press conferences and photo shoots.
Khafaga described her work as modern, colorful and eccentric with the intent to complete an outfit by being the main feature of any ensemble.
“They have a mix of materials and a mix of different colors; they’re all handmade and manufactured in Egypt. I mainly use hand painted crystals and stones,” she said, seeing this as her trademark style.
She started her business almost three years ago when she was still a student working at the AUC communications office.
“I always wanted to have my own business and have always been into handmade crafts, painting and designs,” she added. Khafaga self-financed her line and started with a very small collection which sold out.
She then reinvested the money into her business in hopes of further growth. With every successful line, she would make the next one bigger and even more flamboyant.
“I decided to put a certain amount [of money] in and then raise capital and I’ve been raising capital for two and half years to fund the work,” she said.
While a student at AUC, Khafaga studied mass communications with a minor in business, which she says helped her with managing the financial aspects, as well as promoting her product. With the knowledge gained from graphic design classes, she was able to style her own iconic logo.
“It helped me a lot, definitely. All the courses I took from public relations, marketing, advertising, advertising arts and design courses in mass communications,” she said.
Jumana Al-Maraghi, a political science junior said, “she was able to succeed in a very short time and at a very young age. I liked the brand image that she made for herself.”
Khafaga learned the trade by going to workshops around Cairo and asking people who were already in the industry for tips and contacts, in order to get the perfect product she envisioned.
“I explored a lot of things; it was very trial and error before I launched my first collection,” she said
However, she said she has taken to working with Syrian forgers and craftsmen, as she feels Egyptian workers “were not efficient, were not punctual” or dedicated to creating a good product.
“It takes a very dedicated worker who understands his job well; who doesn’t just want to do it to take his money and leave – it takes an artist not just worker,” stated Khafaga.
Last year Khafaga collaborated with Egyptian designer Farida Temraz during the London Fashion Week and designed a bridal crown as well as a dress that she embellished “with certain stones.”
The experience gave her ideas about ways to diversify her products into more than just fashion jewelry. It also peaked her interest in working with more designers.
Ali Badawi, a business senior, stated, “I think if she creates a good business model based on what she learned from her market so far, she would be able to sustain her stardom and expand even further. She seems to be very popular.”
“It’s always great to see someone defy all the odds and succeed in our society, which is plagued by demotivation and a serious lack of creativity,” he added.
Khafaga is currently working on the summer collection and a design book, with hopes to expand beyond the borders of Egypt to the rest of the Middle East, such as Dubai and Beirut.
The new collection may include jewelry focused on swimwear accessories and may possibly expand into gemstone-beaded bags.
