The Skinless Project Inspirational Woman September 2011: Sarah Hermez

“Someone once told me that it is just a matter of starting or not starting. Some people spend their whole lives talking about starting, but never really get around to it. This process has taken my starting point to the next level.” - Sarah Hermez

In the bustling streets of Beirut in between falafel, long summer night walks and a vibrant cultural oasis you will find an emerging and unexpected fashion scene. In this colorful and awake world you will find an unexpected fashion designer. Meet the Skinless Project Inspirational Woman for September: Sarah Hermez.

Sarah Hermez is a rare gem who has decided to take her passion for life and fashion and turn it into a catalyst to help youth in dire circumstances change their lives. Working with  “The Creative Space”, Sarah is changing the lives of a community one fashion lover at a time.

We loved getting to know about Sarah, her inspiration and her hometown.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I am Lebanese/Armenian born in Kuwait. Apart from living in Cyprus during the Gulf War, and in Lebanon for a year during the Iraq war in 2003, my childhood for the most part was in Kuwait. I moved to New York in 2004 at the age of 18 to attend University, and left in 2010 to begin work in Lebanon. I currently live in Lebanon.

What is your educational background?

I graduated high school from the American School of Kuwait. I then moved to New York and enrolled in The Newschool graduating with a double degree from Parsons the New School of Design and Eugene Lang the New School for Liberal Arts majoring in Fashion Design and Media/Cultural studies.

What inspired you to pursue fashion?

Doing a double degree was a wonderful way to merge the two worlds that I am very passionate about. It provided me a balance between the academic and creative.  It offered me a space of revival where experience and learning could be utilized into expression. I chose fashion design because it happened to cross my path. As a child I used to take apart old clothes and create new looks. Fashion became the medium of my expression, but it could easily have been any other form of art.

What inspired you to pursue "Creative Space" and describe it?

During my time in University, I took part in study abroad programs in Cambodia, where I taught English and worked at an orphanage; in India, I studied Tibetan Politics and lived with a Tibetan refugee family. These experiences radically changed the way I viewed the world and made me question what kind of work I wanted to do. I couldn't go back to New York and pursue fashion for fashions sake.  After graduating my main goal was to continue to maintain a balance between my passions, as they are also my strengths. Thus, The Creative Space grew to be this fusion.

The Creative Space was launched on June 1, 2011 in Beirut, Lebanon. It is a free intensive educational program that aims to inspire and empower youth from various backgrounds, through fashion design. Gathering for seven hours a day, five times a week, the initiative functions out of a vibrant space in Saifi Urban Gardens.

The project is run by Caroline Shlala- Simonelli, a professor at Parsons the New School of Design and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and I.  Together, we teach a class of 5 students between the ages of 16-22, from different backgrounds, lifestyles and education who lack fair opportunities and have an interest in fashion design.
Our goal is to guide our students on the road to discovering the roots of their creative ideals through fashion, creating an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration while promoting individuality, an atmosphere that eliminates barriers. The idea of eliminating barriers is not only emphasized between the students and their backgrounds, but it is also part of our teaching structure. The role between teacher and student is based on mutual collaboration and exchange, breaking barriers between student and teacher and allowing for an atmosphere based on equality.

Education today has taken the form of teaching with one perspective; lecture-based and hierarchal. We at The Creative Space do not believe in this system of education. We all have our stories, our knowledge, and our perspectives to offer one another, constantly challenging each other with respect. The result of this technique, if humbly approached, will hopefully allow for nothing less than beauty and creativity at their highest forms.

Throughout the two months, the class worked together to create an haute-couture collection, with each student responsible for designing and producing at least 4 garments that made up the final collection, showcased in an auction/exhibition this past August. The results were fantastic, the dresses were all bought, and the money raised was shared amongst the designers and reinvested back into the project in order for us to continue onto our next term.

The long-term vision for The Creative Space is to develop a participatory, democratic educational system that also serves as a brand, a system that generates income by producing and selling collections in which profits are equally distributed among designers, giving them opportunities to work and sustain their lives.

What have you learned from the process? What have you learned about women and more
importantly yourself?

I learned that you don't know how much you really know, until you teach it, I surprised myself. I learned the importance of ambition, strength, and dedication. I discovered the meaning of passion, of friendship, of respect and of love. I witnessed the power of creativity, when given a safe, free and creative space beauty is bound to be the result of creation.

I watched myself as I became a leader. I learned what it was like to be completely responsible, to be aware of my actions and choice of words. I watched the students as they interacted, as the barriers began to break, as they became friends, as they bickered like sisters. Woman, with all our strength and power, will be woman, but more importantly, people will be people, and when empowered and motivated we exceed expectations. I learned the beauty of collaboration and team work. We all have our stories and perspectives to share. I learned what it means to really listen, likewise, to be listened to. I was part of a group dynamics, and I watched with wide eyes, as their talents emerged.

Why Beirut?

Beirut because I am Lebanese and I never really knew what that meant. I came here to discover that part of my identity.
Beirut is a city of contradictions, a city of chaos, of instability. It is a city where people are forced to live in the moment.
Beirut is a city that drips of creativity waiting to be provoked, waiting to be challenged. I chose this amazing city because there is so much work that could be done, but not enough motivation. A wave of encouragement is much needed. Finally, I chose Beirut because it has been long due for change.

What is the best way women can contact you to help or learn from you?

sarahermez@skinlessproject.com