Label   Tawfik Mounayer
Look    Intense colour, souk glamour.
Story   Freelance design jobs finance his line. Tired of finding pins on his pillowcase, Mounayer recently moved his atelier from his apartment in Jersey City to Chinatown where he takes private orders.
Plan    Slow steady growth. Looking to be in stores, too.
Where  Private studio 1.212 591 1720; www.tawfikmounayer.com
All items, by special order, by Tawfik Mounayer

The fashion sphere in New York is all about big money. The city has traditionally revolved around big-time profits, bold-faced names and larger-than-life egos….in recent times independent labels including Benjamin Cho, Tuleh, Tess Giberson, Alice Roi and Bruce have blazed a path for others to follow. The city is shedding its suit-wearing image for something altogether more edgy and creative. “There’s a whole generation of us screaming to be heard,” says Tawfik Mounayer, one of the neophytes altering the visage of fashion. Of Palestinian descent but raised in Syracuse, New York, Mounayer vaulted to attention over a year ago with a collection of achingly beautiful chiffon dresses in electrifying colours. For winter 2001 he turned an antique tablecloth into an arresting dress, while his latest collection is a breathtaking exploration of the femme fatale style.

In the past, New York’s fashion graduates were willingly absorbed into the folds of America’s sportswear giants, but an ever-increasing number are going it alone. Ambitious and resourceful, both key traits of the new breed, Mounayer, a Parsons School of Design alumnus, conceived his debut range while suffereing from some serious sleep deprivation. While working a day job for Ann Taylor, he would sew clothes into the early hours of the morning. He has since taken on a succession of freelance gigs to support his line, plowing back in the label everything he earns. “I needed to do this to be sane,” says Mounayer. “I don’t sleep but I’m doing what I want to do.”…

The most important factor propelling the indie set is demand. Savvy consumers craving intrepidity in design and an alternative to the mainstream have prompted Tom Ford to declare that personalizing objects is the way forward for Gucci. “It’s one of the growing segments of our business,” confirms Ed Burstell, general manager of uptown department store Henri Bendel. Burstell dismisses the oft-heard gripe that New York is not a creative hotbed. “People who say that haven’t looked hard enough. I like to call New York the new London.” At a time when big brands dominate the field, the allure of small, untapped talent is more pronounced. “I can’t get enough of what the new designers are doing,” says Julie Gilhart, vice president of fashion merchandising at Barneys. “It’s a perfect time. Customers can really connect to something at that level.” Mounayer’s phone rang off the hook with interested parties as far as Oregon his first season. “It really freaked me out,” he says. “Making clothes was something I did for myself, but when people started wanting it, it was almost overwhelming.” He’d better get used to it.