Wafaa Abo El Ela Is Creating A Fashion Footprint

Wafaa decided to create Fashion Footprint in April 2014 to represent personal style and travels.

Working in different fields like customer service, modeling, office management and aviation, it wasn’t until April of 2014 that she discovered that fashion is her walking dream.

The name “Fashion Footprint” was chosen from a list of many names that Wafaa wrote on a piece of paper, and her colleague Sharon Kibaara suggested to add “foot” to the name Fashion print, then it became “Fashion Footprint”.

We interviewed Wafaa about her journey so far and how to overcome the inevitable challenges of the fashion world.

Where is home?

Currently living in Dubai, but I used to live in Egypt (I’m half Egyptain half Lebanese).

Has fashion/lifestyle blogging always been your career plan?

Actually not. I used to be on different career plans every few years cause I always felt that I have more to give and discover but there was nothing really challenging enough to stick around for a long time. I majored in English Literature and I even took a postgraduate diploma in executive management then I changed my whole plans again when I traveled to Dubai to join the aviation field. I guess that was a huge turning point for me. Even though I gave up on my dream as a business woman but that extra spare time that my work gave me it allowed me to discover myself more and find what I really passionate about which is styling clothes. Blogging is a great outlet to voice your ideas not only your style. It’s a creative place where you create images in your mind and then make it a reality without anyone else restrictions.

What’s a typical day like for you?

I don’t know if that’s good or bad but I don’t have one day that looks like the other that’s why I don’t have a fixed schedule. Traveling constantly is a big challenge for me which make it hard to stick to a certain routine. But I try to sleep enough, work out and have some vitamin D whenever I’m in Dubai. On a regular day off in Dubai, I start my day (after having coffee) by sourcing samples, online shopping, catching up on new releases, find inspirations for my work and reply to my emails. Most of my work collaborations have to be done via emails or WhatsApp messages due to my limited time in Dubai. Afternoons are for doing errands, styling and shooting my outfits. I don’t like to fill up my nights with many events cause I need some time for family and for myself too so I limit the events to only 1 – 2 which I genuinely love to attend. And at the end of my day I work on my next day photos or blog content.

What trends are you most excited about for Fall/Winter 17′?

I’m so glad that Plaid is coming strong this year. Also the structured suits, padded Blazers and belted coats are contemporary Classics that will refresh our winter wardrobe.

The Fox Magazine is all about inspiration, what/who inspires you the most?

There are lots of people in my life that really shaped my taste in fashion and constantly inspiring me to work hard on myself some of them are even family members. But one of the true source of inspiration and style icons for me is the Queen Rania Al Abdulla.

Do you have any tips or tricks for achieving an aesthetically awesome Instagram page? Any social media tips?

Work on making a themed gallery instead of individual photos. You don’t need to take fabulous photos, everyone now knows how to do that. You need to know how to edit your photos to make them look extraordinary but still people can relate to it.

Regarding social media I think it’s a lot of work it’s starts with producing high quality and creative content to promoting and engaging with others. Try to engage more with people from the same niche or share similar ideas and you will develop big audience in a short time.

What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m left-handed and they say left-handed are creative but crazy people ☺️.
I also modeled since the age of 14 but never took it as a serious job, I just kept doing small jobs here and there.

What’s your best advice for people looking to get into fashion and lifestyle blogging?

Keep your niche original but don’t stop evolving, don’t copy other people and keep your aesthetic on check.

Your style has to reflect a lot of your personality but don’t be afraid to change that every while.

How do you separate fashion and style?

Fashion is what everyone has access to. It’s all those nice little items that we love to own. But style is the way of putting these items together. It’s your individuality which makes you different than others even when wearing the same item they have.

Do you have any fundamental fashion tips for young professionals?

Keep it simple, focus on accessories it gives an extra polish to any basic outfit and don’t be afraid to try new styles.

How do you translate trends to your readers?

I don’t follow trends blindly, I choose wisely what I like from every trend. Always update your wardrobe with fresh pieces but be picky and choose something versatile that match your style.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to push the restart button and make over their look?

There is no expiry time in fashion or life in general. So don’t be afraid to change your look to work better for your current lifestyle. Just keep in mind your skin tone and your body shape and ask yourself does that new look really suit you?

What style item a must-have for you?

A white shirt and a pair of jeans.

Do you like pointing your clients in the right direction or taking a more hands-on approach to crafting their style?

I like to highlight how it’s contemporary and time-saving to have a minimal approach in style. But I will always encourage them to express their style and brainstorm different ideas together.

What do you see as some of the economic and design challenges of the industry?

With the never-ending economic crises and poor wages growth the whole fashion industry culture of overconsumption should change to more minimalistic, versatile and environmentally friendly approach. We need to educate people on how to invest in high-quality garments and avoid Impulse buying behavior which result in purchasing low quality and a large number of garments that you can hardly wear again.

Brands and designers need to come up with more economic friendly designs that would last you the whole year and us as bloggers need to teach people how to transfer these items from one season to another to help cope up with all the economic changes.

What is your favorite motto, quote or words to live by?

Simplicity is my way of life.

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