New York designer Hanan Sharifa’s creations look like they came straight from a Renaissance oil painting, and when it comes to adding an extra bit of flair to an outfit, she’s got you covered from head to toe. Her signature pieces are her detachable sleeves which are puffy and made in vibrant colors like bronze, royal blue, rose, and mint, and her huge floral-print floppy hats.
The 28-year-old designer has become known for her statement accessories, but she actually went to school for textural painting. Her interest in fashion design came later when she went to do a screen printing residency in Philadelphia. In order to make a living, she started screen printing on thrifted clothes before making mesh shirts with her name printed in Arabic on them.
Before long, Sharifa started designing her infamous puffy sleeves and floppy hats. The hats started out as bonnets, but after no one liked the design, she decided to make them more dramatic and she waited for people to fall in love with them—which they did. The sleeves are inspired by ancient art and architecture, “I draw a lot of inspiration from statues and depictions of women lounging. I know most of those are problematic so I like to take them and repurpose them for what I want them to be,” she told Vogue.
Sharifa actually models the clothes herself or has friends help her out. What do you think of Sharifa’s designs? Are they too much for you?
