DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam is paying tribute to Egyptian icon Umm Kulthum by way of an eyewear collection with Moroccan label Port Tanger.
The model created a pair of frames for the label and based her designs on late singer Umm Kulthum and Hammam’s own mother.
“Composed of two unique silhouettes, Hammam’s frames are an homage to two of the strongest women she knows. ‘Umm,’ a cat-eye frame, draws its name from legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. ‘M’Barka,’ a wide 70s-style frame, takes the name of Hammam’s mother,” a description on the brand’s Instagram account read.
“When I was making this collaboration, the first person that I thought of, who I love and who I think is my icon, is my mother. And back in the 70s and 80s, my mom was a fashionista. So, she’s been a big inspiration for me too,” Hammam said of the new offerings, according to Port Tanger’s Instagram account.
Founded by Bilal Fellah and his creative partner Dani?l Sumarna, the handcrafted eyewear line, which seeks inspiration from the Moroccan city of Tangier, has been spotted on everyone from US rapper ASAP Rocky to model Nora Attal.
The vintage-style Umm and M’Barka sunglasses feature retro tinted shades and oversized frames. Hammam showed off her new designs in a photoshoot alongside her mother and sister that was lensed by photographer Bibi Borthwick.
Earlier this month, 26-year-old Hammam took to Instagram to thank industry insiders for attending the collection’s launch party, writing: “(A) big thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the launch of my collection with @porttanger last night. I am (so) excited to share the rest of this amazing collection with you all.”
Hammam has shown love for her Arab roots in the past, and even starred in an Egypt-themed photoshoot for celebrity shoe designer Amina Muaddi this summer. The images, shared on Muaddi and Hammam’s Instagram accounts, were shot in Cairo and featured the model posing in a number of everyday locations, including sitting opposite an elderly man smoking shisha.
Hammam is one of the most in-demand models in the industry. She was scouted in Amsterdam’s Central Station before making her catwalk debut in 2013 by walking in Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show.
Since then, she has appeared on the runway for major fashion houses such as Burberry, Fendi, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera, to name a few.
Hammam, who has been featured in leading fashion publications such as Vogue and V Magazine, has also starred in international campaigns for DKNY, Celine, Chanel, Versace, Givenchy, Giorgio Armani and more.