MILAN: Besides studying law and learning how to fly a plane, Kuwaiti fashion blogger Rawan bin Hussain has somehow found the time to make it to Milan as the city’s edition of fashion week shifts into high gear.
Arab News is in Italy’s fashion capital and caught up with the influencer, who has a stellar 3.4 million followers to her name, to learn more about what it takes to handle the frenzy that is fashion week — and look effortlessly chic while doing it.
Hussain revealed that she prefers Italian designers and was excited about one show in particular.
“I am very excited to be in Milan because I prefer Italian designers and most of my wardrobe consists of pieces by many Italian designers. I am very excited to see Cavalli, it is very colorful and playful,” the blogger, who released a colorful line of lipsticks late last year, said.
“Last season, their designers were so unique, such timeless pieces. I am looking forward to seeing their new collection this year and the show is just a few hours from now. I would say (it’s going to be) a lovely Saturday ahead!”
For those who follow the 22-year-old fashionista on Instagram, it’s clear that she is never in the same place for long and pulling together a well-curated set of looks can be difficult even without the constant jetting around — so how does she do it?
“It took me about two months to prepare my closet for London and Milan Fashion Weeks. I went shopping around the world, when I was off travelling for my birthday and New Year’s Eve. I used that time to shop from small boutiques, or well-known designers and emerging designers — whatever I thought was suitable and that would pop during fashion weeks,” she said, revealing just how long it really takes the style stars of social media to look their best.
While many choose to work with experts, Hussain states that she prefers a more personal, if not labor-intensive approach.
“I don’t have any stylists, I style myself. I think style is a very personal thing and having a stylist is like wearing someone else’s style rather than your own. You can have a stylist to teach you what cuts and colors are suitable for your body shape and your skin tone, but not a stylist to tell you what to wear.”
As for her favorite recent looks, she didn’t hesitate and opted for an ensemble she showed off in London last week, with one of three snaps of the outfit garnering more than 41,000 likes on Instagram.
“My favorite look was the first day of London Fashion Week. I wore a white skirt and a pink top because I love the color combination! I have a couple of looks coming soon that I believe the followers and audience will love even more than my looks so far.”
As she races off to take in the Cavalli show, the entrepreneur shed light on the reality of attending fashion week, including a lack of sleep and a packed schedule that would leave even the most battle hardened with raised eyebrows.
“A typical day during fashion week is waking up at 7:00 am and starting the day with a nice, hot shower. Of course, having a large, heavy breakfast to keep me up all day (is important). I always have a pair of sneakers with me in the driver’s car and then I will head to the first presentation.
“Then, (before) the evening show, or the evening events, I will go home, change and freshen up my makeup and get going again. Of course, we always have nice big dinners with my fellow bloggers and designers, so it is a long day and a long night — I get like five hours of sleep a night!”
