Local designer, Amina K.’s latest collection strays from her normal basics, seamlessly mixing traditional ethnic elements for the super-modern woman to wear

“Expect a shift; a different side of me,” said Amina K. at her collection launch event on 17 September in Zamalek. Only in the hands of Amina K. can fabrics mingle, becoming hippy, practical and “edge” in unexpected forms. The designer has a way of taking something very ordinary, such as knitting, putting her signature on it and making it wearable. For instance, in terms of fabrics Amina mixed leather with knitting. Think “the meeting of traditional Native American or Colombian meets modern-day.”

“I want to surprise my client, and gain new ones” said Amina, whose pure, ethnic designs inspire. Take, for example, her black leather vest, with a blue knitted backing, harem pants decorated with knitting at the waistline, loose shirts with layered knitted pockets, over-sized jackets, bohemian layers of viscose over a knitted shawl – a modern, Colombian girl outlook for the world look-book.

Amina says she focused on “fabrics, shawl, mingling with style, ethnic, hip look.” Her fall/winter collection’s style was definitely conducted along bohemian-gypsy; something Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen would wear as they are being chased by paparazzi .

In fact, there is only one item that does not fall in this category: a layered chiffon shirt with colours on pink and fuchsia with a blue collar. By all means it is a refreshing delicate twist in terms of design and colour from the entire collection – not to mention a stand out.

Colours, too, were strong and edgey: black, grey, camel, brown; Amina stated that she wanted to play with dark colours, not mixing and matching light with dark to promote a lighter outcome.

Perhaps this was not the essential collection that Amina so often serves us with, but rather a quiet, thoughtful Amina took the risk to reinvent herself and her showroom signature with a delightfully ethnic vision.