Ruaa Elmansuri is a name that is sneaking around the fashion world silently. At least, in my personal fashion circle. As a graduate of Fashion Textiles at London College of Fashion, Ruaa’s eye for print making and design have inspired me throughout her just-starting-out career. Meeting through Instagram a few years ago, when One Direction was in the hearts of every woman (although who am to say they’re NOT still...), Ruaa and I became quick online friends. Although an ocean keeps us apart, she frequently posts on Instagram including a lot of Instagram Stories which is a great way to keep up with her.
As an editorial piece, I should not put such blunt opinions on here, but Ruaa is extremely talented. She runs her illustration account, _artisitagram_, through Instagram. She draws or collages celebrity pictures into beautiful pieces. I actually have one of her collages hanging in my room.
For the end of New York Fashion Week 2021, I wanted to reach out to Ruaa to talk about how her background in fashion is taking her places and what’s beyond the runway season for her. New York may be the fashion capital of the US, but it is not the only fashionable city in the world. London Fashion Week, for example, starts right after New York’s. London’s include Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, and Shrimps, to name a few that I am very fond of. As Ruaa makes her rounds in the fashion world, don’t doubt you won’t come across her name again very soon.
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Ruaa, I’ve always been a fan of your designs and your art as a whole. Your pictures of your patterns and textiles always make me want to wear a dress made from them and walk down a very crowded street to make sure many people saw what I was wearing. Did you always want to go into the fashion industry or was there a moment where you thought “hey, I could be good at this!”?
- Thank you so much! As a kid I’ve always been interested in art and fashion, always sketching outfits, but I didn’t know I could pursue it realistically as a career, as there was no education or future in it where I’m from and people around me said architecture was the next best thing. But by the time I got into high school I realized I didn’t wanna follow what everyone around me has been doing or suggesting and rather do my own thing. So from day one at high-school, I had a goal of learning how to sew, pattern cut and create fashion illustration at home but also focus on school where I majored in life science, I aimed to graduate with good results so I can apply later to study fashion abroad.
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I’m a girl who was and still is, in love with print magazines. I used to get subscriptions of Seventeen and Teen Vogue when I was younger. As I got older, Nylon and Vogue were my go-to magazines when I would pass them on the store shelves. I, of course, have to bring up your Spring Summer 2021 Graduate Collection, Once Upon a Dream, which landed you in Harper’s Bazaar UK. The article was called “Global Young Talent 2021”. How did that feel, Ruaa? To be in a huge magazine with your talent on display?
- I’m also a print magazine girl, so it was definitely a surreal feeling seeing my name and picture in the pages of a magazine I collect, at my local magazine shop.
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If you wander around your website, you have a lot of trades: styling, photography, fashion, illustrations. I definitely have that “I can’t pick one thing, but whatever it is, it has to be creative” vibe in me, like it seems you do too. Is there a certain part of art or fashion that you have your eye on to do more of? For example, your eye for styling is impeccable. Are more styling projects in your future?
- Me too! There are so many creative things I enjoy doing, sometimes I can’t choose just one! I’m more focused on the design part of fashion, but I love styling. I think if I found a new opportunity to assist on a photoshoot with a stylist I admire, I would be definitely interested in it. I will probably create my own shoots and style them at some point to let all the creative juices out.
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The inevitable question that I am dying to hear from you: what’s next for Ruaa Elmansuri? What are your dreams and goals for the future? And as the writer of this post AND as a friend, whatever you do, I will brag about knowing you.
- In a month I’ll be starting a Master's course, studying art theory and philosophy, I think it’ll be really exciting to learn more about the art culture and develop my critical thinking skills. I think it will feed into creating interesting design concepts. My ultimate fashion goal is to create my own label, and to do that I want to get more design experience at brands I like. So, my next step is to become a design assistant!
Thank you for always being such a supportive friend!
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