Meet Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim, identical twin fashion designers of Somali decent. Born and raised in Washington, DC, both sisters moved to Manhattan upon the completion of their college education, to pursue a career in fashion designing. They improved their skills by studying the industry and learning how to set their designs apart from the rest.
In 2008, the sisters launched their fashion brand ‘Mataano’, which literally translates to ‘twins’ in Somali. Their creations feature an eclectic integration of modern styles and African prints with classic. The sisters received national exposure for their designs; appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show, and getting featured in The New York Times, and ESSENCE magazine.
Mataano’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection mixes flowing harem pants with close fit tanks, flouncy ruffled minis with belted blazers, and watercolor pencil skirts with draped sheer tops.
Ayaan and Idyl hope to appeal to multi-cultural sensibilities and reflect diversity in their designs. Their collection has something for everyone, and as talented as they are, their designs are sure to become global favorites. Check out some of my picks from Mataano’s spring/summer 2011 collection:
visit mataano.com
EMBRACE YOU 