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Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome. |
Photos courtesy Mona Sultan
Vancouver’s Mona Sultan creates beautiful geometric scarves that are versatile and perfect for spring. Connecting her travels with a background in design, Mona’s aesthetic blends a range of influences from Man Ray to Guy Bourdin. A lover of architecture and antiques, Mona takes a thoughtful and strategic approach to her designs.
Mona discusses latest collection, her influences and Vancouver life.
Valerie Tiu: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Mona Sultan: I grew up in Damascus, Syria. My father was a businessman and my mother was a stay at home mum who has a passion for sewing and painting. Growing up, creativity was not an option; it was a state of mind. Fabric, paint tubes and colours always surrounded me, and the sound of a sewing machine is one I got familiar with early on in life. Having a brother 14 years my senior, I felt like an only child and used to spend a good amount of time with my mother. She taught me all I know about fabric, cutting pattern and sewing, and she also gave me an understanding of quality and detail. I thank her for that!
I attended the French school of Damascus, and after that, went to Beirut to study Graphic Design at the Lebanese American University. After graduating, I freelanced in the field and later moved to Jordan and worked in film briefly before meeting my Canadian husband and moving to Vancouver. Life in Damascus gave me an immense appreciation for heritage and history. I developed a passion for old cities and anthropology.
VT: How do you translate your knowledge and experience in design into fashion?
MS: I use the same process in my work today as I did with Graphic Design. Of course, with fashion, I have to be attentive to the industry’s trends and colour forecasts, and everything around me is perceived with that in mind. Also, it is one thing to print on paper, a whole other thing to print on different types of fabric and keep in mind how it is going to look when worn. It really helps that I have an understanding of fabric and structure from years of helping my mother in her studio.
There is a quote by Coco Chanel that I really value, "Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions." I believe that this applies to design in general, my experience in design definitely gave me great knowledgeable of proportions!
VT: How do you describe your line?
MS: Modern, edgy and unconventional. I create pieces that blend well with classics and also with trends. I am a big fan of mixing—high street with high fashion, feminine with masculine, texture with solid, pattern with pattern etc… My line is all about the concept of experimenting and personalizing your look, evolving and taking it a step further than the conventional.
Women who follow their instinct when it comes to style always inspire me. The ones who know their fashion but don’t always go by the book—these women make me want to create.
VT: Who wears it?
MS: A woman who isn’t afraid to be different, one who enjoys her individuality and likes to stand out in a crowd. My clients range in age and I absolutely love that!
VT: What influences did you draw upon for your latest collection?
MS: On my mood board for Spring/Summer 2013 were the works of fashion photographers Sarah Moon and Guy Bourdin. Sarah Moon has an amazing approach to colour. I was very surprised when in an interview she mentioned her dislike of colour, and that the way she managed to work with it was by “messing” with it. After learning this, I was seeing her photographs in a different light, and it made her strong use of black very logical to me. This inspired me to integrate a lot of black into the collection.
As for Guy Bourdin, I was mostly inspired by his composition. His frames are magnificent and sharp, and his work has an edge that I translated into my spring designs.
VT: Can you discuss your process for developing a piece?
MS: Digital printing is used to transfer my designs onto fabric; so most of my work is done on the computer. Working on each collection is a process that I really enjoy. Usually, when I am starting a new collection, I spend a lot of time researching. I find that the more I know about my inspiration, the smoother and more creative the outcome. While researching, I start pinning ideas on my mood board until I recognize a prominent theme and colour palette. Once this is done, sketching will start, and after that, graphics, images, colours all come together. Then fabric and sizes are chosen, and the final step is the printing and hand hemming.
VT: Does living in Vancouver inspire your design perspective?
MS: I have lived in old cities all my life and history has become a big source of comfort and inspiration. I have to admit that, when I first moved here in 2008 I struggled with the newness of Vancouver, but learned quickly where to dig for inspiration. I love all the antique stores around the city and I enjoy walking around and contemplating the heritage homes! My husband and I bought and renovated our heritage house three years ago. We took down 105 year old walls and found little treasures… thinking of all the stories that took place in the house was an intriguing experience!
VT: Where do you envision Mona Sultan in the next few years?
MS: Expanding is definitely on the horizon, both geographically and creatively. I love what I do and I want to do more of it!
VT: When you are not working on your line, where do you like to spend your time in Vancouver?
MS: I am a food lover and thankfully so is my husband! We love trying new restaurants around town. Lately, we’ve been regulars at Merchant’s Oyster Bar on Commercial Drive, the owners are passionate foodies themselves, they serve lots of great dishes and I highly recommend their brunch!
I also love going to Fort Langley, it is my favorite spot for antique shopping. There’s also a few cute stores I like to visit every time I go there, some nice coffee shops and a great candy store!
Mona Sultan is available online, at One of a Few in Vancouver and Lebelik.
