interview by João Reis Moreira
Photo By Jeremy LeConte / Pixel Formula : Discover Tunisia
Interview SEYF DEAN – Creative director from NARCISO
Our collaborator João Reis Moreira was in Fashion Week Tunis recently and interviewed Sefy Dean from Narcico
You showed your last collection at Fashion Week Tunis. How important it is to have such a big platform supporting Tunisian Designers? Fashion week Tunis has been around since 2009 and it’s a big platform to support Tunisian designers because there’s no other platform or event that actually showcase designers. Having this kind of platform allows them to keep this Industry alive even though it’s small or messy sometimes but I will always applaud Anis for trying to make it every year.
I imagine that you always wanted to be a designer. When did you know that’s what you wanted?
I’ve always wanted to be a fashion editor which I was and while working as a fashion editor and editor in chief I was also designing for my own brand, I used to be the editor in chief of the only fashion magazine in Tunisia called FF DESIGNER MAGAZINE and at the same time designing for other brands and myself. I guess I always wanted to work in fashion in all the aspect and today I added PR work in the list of the things that I like to do in fashion.
What are the pros and cons of working in Tunisia as a fashion designer?
Cons are the resources: not always available and if you don’t have representation than it’s hard to succeed Pros: the exposure the media such as yourself that shows interest in a small industry like Tunisia
Tell us about the SS22 collection you recently showed at Fashion Week Tunis?
So it’s all about censorship and how I am against and tired of it all through 90’s cyber punk kids and sex, I want freedom of expression and freedom of individuality as a mixed raced kid ( Taiwan and Tunisia ) I’ve been put in so many boxes that Now I’m trying to break free from them all.
Do you have a favorite piece from the collection?
It’s like asking me if I have a favorite child which i do not, all children are delightful( ofc I’m talking about the creative process) I think the menswear is good and the one that are very very slutty are quite the a looker ( the green fur look and the gold dress and the blue suite )
What is your starting point when working on a collection?
A message, a cause I’m a firm believer of if you’re not expressing through art a valuable cause then you are just making more waste and that’s inacceptable.
Looking ahead, what are your plans going forward?
I’d like to think that I’m a person that plans for everything but I’m very very open for anything and I do have a fixed trajectory which is forward so expand and keep telling my story.
