Whatis actually behind the idea and the name fabrari- wear the world?
Fanny Abrari: My label is strongly influenced by my origins. I am Persian and have lived in Vienna for over 30 years, but I am still closely connected to my home country through my family. An important aspect of founding my label was to make the beautiful sides of Iran visible.
Unfortunately, this wonderful country has not had a good public image for years - a very hurtful and sad fact for many Iranians at home and abroad. My work tries to separate the political from normal social life. For me, specialness knows no boundaries. It can therefore not be marginalized.
What is thephilosophy behind your fashion?
Abrari: I think that my accompanying slogan wear the world expresses a lot in this respect. It is a real concern of mine to present the beauties of this world through my garments. And what Iran has to offer in this respect was an initial spark for me.
Travel and photography have always had a special place in my life and from this has developed a deep desire not only to capture beauty and uniqueness, but also to make it "wearable". One of my first designs was the "wearable Persian rug" in the shape of a dress.
How doyou choose your motifs?
Abrari: What is beautiful is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. Individuality and creativity have always been important to me and my perspective is strongly influenced by this. I set myself no limits when looking for and selecting motifs, so the spectrum is particularly broad. From A for architecture to Z for the branches of a tree, everything is included. A vintage car in Havana can have the same expressive power as an impressive landscape in Austria. The mix is important to me.
Whatmakes your fashion special, apart from the look? And how sustainable is your fashion?
Abrari: We all want to be treated fairly and with respect. Like many consumers, I have the impression that developments in the fashion business don't have much to do with fairness and respect. It's not just the big fashion chains, but also many exclusive labels that produce under questionable conditions and profit from it. On the one hand, individuality is completely lost as a result, while on the other, so-called exclusivity appears in a strange light.
Everything is fine in the world of fabrari (laughs). My fabrics are produced and printed in Germany in an environmentally friendly way and under strict conditions. The pieces are made by the wonderful seamstresses of the non-profit company Wienwork in the 22nd district.
Its corporate goal is to find and create jobs for people who are disadvantaged in the labor market. This gives people with disabilities, chronic illnesses or the long-term unemployed a chance to participate in the economic and social process.
With my fashion, I prove that exclusivity, top quality, sustainable production and fair pricing are not mutually exclusive. In addition, there is a limited edition of each motif, which guarantees individuality.
Could you briefly describehow a piece by fabrari is created?
Abrari: I opted for simple cuts in order to have as much fabric surface as possible available for my motifs. In order to turn each fabrari into a small work of art, the preparation of the motifs for fabric printing is quite complex. There are many partial digital prints in fashion, and my pieces are characterized by the quality of the large-scale printing and the finish of the seams. So even seen from the side, fabraris are an eye-catcher.
I also give each fabrari a name because I always build up a relationship with it, and I want to express this even more strongly. Each garment comes with a postcard with the photo motif, the name and an inspiring quote.
Whydid you decide to produce sustainable fashion?
Abrari : Mass production has always been a thorn in my side because I was always looking for individuality. At some point, I also started to question the origin of my clothes. I wanted to know under what circumstances these things were produced. The debate about sustainability then came naturally and this gave rise to a new awareness that has also changed me personally.
Unfortunately, this can never be completely avoided or controlled, but in my opinion the solution is not a total boycott, but rather increasing the pressure on companies that rely on irresponsible production. Wearing fairly produced fashion is good for the conscience!
The Persian-born designer Fanny Abrari worked in the event sector for many years. As a project manager, she was responsible for B2B events, from the conception to the organization of elaborate events. In 2012, she finally set up her own social label "fabrari- wear the world" and is now represented in several boutiques in Vienna and the surrounding area .
