Contemporary Delight

Djaafar El Ghazi, is without a doubt a leading innovative designer. His ability and appreciation for design give him a keen sense of flair, that allow him to produce such unique beautiful pieces. A former Architect, He founded his own lifestyle accessories brand in 2007, He shares his life between Berlin and Sydney and runs a company overlooking many sectors in the fashion industry. He is also a contributing writer to Australia's LIFE with STYLE magazine covering topics on mens fashion and travel.

Revolution caught up with Djaafar direct from his home in Sydney to share with us insight on whats in the NOW in today's mens fashion and life down-under.

R. Congratulations on the launching of your successful designer brand. How did this journey begin for you?

DE. As a child I use to spend lots of time with Grandmother, who had a small, however precious collection of jewelry. I was fascinated by it, especially by the stones. I can still picture her rose gold ring with a massive aquamarine stone. When I turned sixteen, my mother use to take me to her jeweller, who used to custom make unique pieces for her. My enthusiasm was hard to disguise and he offered me to come on weekends to design and create my own pieces. That is how I became aware of my design ability and passion.

R. The fashion world is dominated by women's fashion, would you say that men's fashion has finally caught up?

DE. Not really in the sense that, there were times where mens's and women's fashion used to be equal and complimentary . If you look at the fashion of the Rococo and Renaissance periods, or even earlier on during the Greek Empire, you soon realize that we are almost in some 'dark age of men's fashion'. In fact, in terms of the fashion that we see worn, we are in relatively conservative phase. However, we are pushing, hoping to bring in more colors, textures and even skirts into the men's fashion world. People have to accept that pink is not just for girls!

R. The name Djaafar is of Arabic origin and symbolizes fertility and growth. You've used this as the main feature for your company's logo and design, tell us about this?

DE. The logo of the brand is based on the name DJAAFAR written in Arabic calligraphy. The name is represented four times in rotation, melding the four corners of the world to blend into one single element. This is sealed with a circle representing the world to emphasize the global aspect of the brand. A second important component is the balance created by the circle and the calligraphy. It is a variation of the Yin Yang theory, which values balance between the feminine and the masculine side.

R. You travel extensively, How would you compare mens fashion say in Berlin to that of Sydney?

DE. I just wrote an article on Berlin being the cradle of fashion. I think that Berlin gives birth to some of the global trends in fashion. Sydney is pretty much a follower and not a setter of trends. However, due to its isolation, Sydney tends to mutate imported international fashion into a local Aussie style.                                                                                              

R. With a hectic schedule of running your own company, writing for a magazine and traveling the world, what music do you listen to, to unwind?

DE. It depends on whether I am trying to unwind, doing sport, or walking at one of Sydney's amazing beaches. While being active I love listening to house music. While chillaxing at the beach, I love listening to lounge music. My favorite current song is " Heading For The Sunrise", Cafe Del Mar 13. It's very serene and pushes me to think forward in moments of doubt!

                                             

Last but not Least...

R. You have just received a formal invitation to work at the Vatican. The Pope has appointed you as his new in-house atelier designer, what would you do for him?

DE. Well I'd be happy to work with the current color palette-red, magenta, purple, white and black. Together they actually create a fantastic color combination. The possibilities on this front could be really exciting. With regards to the designs, I would probably reinvent a new collection incorporating new materials. Clerical Robes incorporate a lot of symbolism in the garment. Even the way and order in which it is put on is important. The challenge would be to design something new that has up until now evolved very slowly over time. It's centuries we are trying to change here! Not one fashion season!

Djaafar El Ghazi

Mens Fashion Designer

http://www.djaafar.com/

www.lifewithstyle.com