Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover: Dana Al Taji at TEDxCairoWomen

Dana Al Taji is a fashion designer and founder of the Layal line of both couture and affordable abayas as well as well as high fashioned modest evening wear.
Al Taji first earned a degree in political economy and spent some time as a teacher. She then decided to stay at home with her first child, enrolling in fashion and tailoring courses. After she had this special taste in clothes since she was a child. Unlike most little girls, Dana Al Taji didn't want to buy new dresses for her Barbie dolls. Instead, Al Taji would eagerly await her mother's return from visits with the tailor, snatching scraps of fabric. From that cast-off material, she created sundry outfits and ensembles for her dolls. She started her business a few years ago out of her home she now owns a boutique in Cairo, employing retail staff and tailors, and also supplies her products to other shops.
She consults magazines to view what's in style and considers what colors she can integrate into the abaya. And when she's out shopping, she observes how clothes are tailored and what new prints, be it stripes or polka dots, could be embraced. In a way, she views her work as countering societal stereotypes and enabling women to live out their choice.

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