Nada

Fashion Designer

Egyptian-born Nada Hegazy was inspired by her grandmother's embroidery skills, which fueled her passion for fashion. She studied fine arts and decided to nurture her interest, hoping to turn it into a project someday. While studying fine arts, Nada gained hands-on experience in fashion by participating in shows and assisting designers. One thing led to another: a friend's request for a custom dress unexpectedly sparked her entrepreneurial drive, and after a few similar asks, she was encouraged to establish her own fashion brand. Unsure where to start, Nada sought advice from friends and family. She was able to sell her products, but she didn’t feel like she had a brand just yet. Word of mouth helped her sales, but she still lacked the direction she sought. By chance, she came across EFE-Egypt and decided to enroll in the program, hoping to learn valuable business insights and skills to complement her artistic side. “EFE’s program set me on the right path and helped turn my business into a brand.” Thanks to her EFE trainers, one of whom she now considers her mentor, she learned how to price and market her products, as well as the basics of customer service and sales techniques. “Before EFE, I used to price my products haphazardly. I would name my price based on what I believed was reasonable. Now I account for the raw materials and my time and feel a lot more confident setting my prices.” Nada achieved her first sale outside her immediate network thanks to the skills she learned in the training and applied to her brand. “I learned a lot about marketing and developed my brand identity, which I applied to my social media pages.” Thanks to the training, she also met peers, including Ibtisam Hamzy, an embroidery specialist, with whom she decided to collaborate on a collection. Nada's journey as a fashion designer continues, with plans to establish her own space and hire a team. With a primary focus on seasonal collections and an emphasis on attention to detail, her main objective now is to expand her customer base. Her story is one of passion, determination, and creativity, proof of the success young people can achieve when given the opportunity.