For Egyptian designer Shahira Lasheen, design begins with a feeling. With a practice rooted in couture and bridal, she brings a very personal approach to design. Her designs reveal as much about the women wearing them as they do about the designer behind them.

In this conversation, Lasheen shares the personal perspective behind that ambition. She reflects on her changing understanding of femininity, the place of Egyptian heritage in her work, and the challenge of growing a house while protecting what makes it her own.

Since the inception of Shahira Lasheen in 2015, how has your definition of femininity changed through your work?

At the beginning, I saw femininity as something more closely connected to beauty, delicacy, and detail. Over time, however, my understanding of it became much deeper. Today, femininity to me is strength and vulnerability at the same time. It is memory, experience, and self-confidence. I no longer design simply to make a woman look beautiful; I want what she wears to reflect something genuine about who she is and the story she carries.

How do you reinterpret traditional techniques so they feel more contemporary than nostalgic?

I do not like to approach heritage as something static or simply as a visual reference from the past. I always look for the essence of a technique or a symbol, and then rebuild it through a contemporary language, whether through proportion, materials, embroidery techniques, or even where the detail appears on the piece. The idea is not to recreate the past, but to allow it to become part of the present.

Your collections often begin with emotion or memory. Can you walk us through how a personal story becomes a full visual world?

I usually do not begin with the dress. I begin with an emotion, a question, or a memory that I cannot ignore. From there, I start exploring the symbols, colours, cultures, and materials that can express that feeling. Gradually, the story begins to build its own world, from the drawings and embroidery to the fabrics, the movement, and even the way the collection is presented. For me, design is a way of translating emotion into something that can be seen and touched.

You’ve established a distinct presence in couture and bridal. What inspired you to step into the wider fashion landscape and explore new categories?

I felt that the identity of Shahira Lasheen had grown beyond being defined only by a bridal gown or a couture piece, although couture will always remain at the heart of the house. It felt natural for this language to move into other categories while maintaining the same spirit and the same level of attention to detail. For me, expansion is not about changing the identity of the house but about giving that identity more space to live.

How do you ensure that expansion doesn’t dilute the house’s core identity of hand-embellished craftsmanship?

There are certain things that are non-negotiable for me, especially craftsmanship, detail, and the visual identity of the house. The category may change, the way the product is presented may change, and even its scale may change, but the way we think about the piece remains the same. We do not simply want to make more; we want to preserve the value that makes a Shahira Lasheen piece recognisable even before you see the name.

How do you approach dressing influential women across different cultures while staying true to your Egyptian roots?

I first like to understand the woman herself, her personality, her culture, and the way she wants to see herself. I do not believe that staying true to my Egyptian roots means placing an obvious Egyptian symbol in every design. Sometimes those roots appear through the way colour is used, through craftsmanship, embroidery, or even through the strength of the silhouette. My goal is always for the woman to feel that the piece belongs to her, while still carrying the spirit of the house.

Is there a dream celebrity or figure you'd love to see dressed in Shahira Lasheen?

Of course, there are many names I admire, but what interests me most is not fame itself. I am drawn to women with a genuine presence and a strong sense of identity, women who are not afraid to be different. The most rewarding moment for me is when the piece becomes an extension of the woman’s personality rather than simply a dress she is wearing.

What is the most exciting development at Shahira Lasheen that you can't wait to share with your community?

What excites me most right now is that we are gradually moving from the idea of an atelier into building a complete fashion house, with different lines and different spaces for expression, while keeping the spirit of couture at the heart of everything we do. There is a great deal of work happening behind this transition, and I believe the coming period will reveal a much broader side of the Shahira Lasheen world.

What decisions have been most important or difficult to make while making the transition from atelier to fashion house?

One of the most difficult decisions was learning when to let go of certain details and trust a larger team with them, because I built the house while being deeply involved in every step and every piece. Building a fashion house means creating a system and a team that can carry the same vision; it is not simply about becoming bigger. The real challenge is learning how to grow without losing the spirit you began with.

When you look ahead, what is the boldest version of Shahira Lasheen that you can imagine?

I see Shahira Lasheen as a global Egyptian fashion house with a distinct visual language that can be recognised anywhere in the world without needing to read the name. A house that respects Egyptian craftsmanship and presents it through a contemporary perspective, while creating a complete world that goes beyond the idea of the dress itself. My ambition is for Egyptian identity to become a natural part of the global fashion landscape, not simply as heritage, but as a living and evolving language.