Business: Fashion designer / couturier
Region: Tunis
Lamia is self-educated in the art of fashion design and dressmaking. She had studied English, but never set foot in a school for fashion design or sewing. When she was still a student, she installed a sewing machine in her parents’ garage and started producing clothes for other students.
When, in 1996, she heard about an institution that was granting microcredit, the information did not fall on deaf ears. In March of that same year, she took out a first loan of 2,000 TND to buy fabrics. Ambitious and naturally gifted in fashion design and dressmaking, Lamia also developed her sense for business and learnt how to make the most of the loans she obtained, the non-financial support services provided by enda-ia and the funding from Tunisian authorities.
After taking out a second loan, Lamia was able to buy several sewing machines for her workshop and opened her first boutique in 1997. She opened her second boutique in 2001 and proceeded to open a workshop for haute couture in 2006. "I have always loved fashion trends. Tunisian traditional clothing is a considerable source of inspiration for me. That is why even in my latest models, there is always a little touch that represents the Tunisian heritage... Actually my dream is to open a boutique in Hammamet, a major tourist destination." |
