INTERVIEW: Fashion, ethics and aesthetics - Laura Dayoub on reshaping the industry's narrative - Style - Life & Style

Al-Ahram Weekly

7 hours ago

Fashion designer Laura Dayoub, 25, shares her thoughts on the ethics and aesthetics of fashion and the conversations she's been curating around these themes.
Next month, Laura Dayoub will moderate the second episode of What Is Fashion?, a discussion series launched this spring by Diwan bookstores.
Like the first episode—and those yet to come—the event will see Dayoub, who has worked in the heart of the glamorous fashion world, peel back the sheen to examine fashion as a social construct with responsibilities, consequences, and ethical implications.
'Glamour is inevitably part of fashion,' Dayoub told Ahram Online. 'But it's not just about glamour. It's always important to look at fashion from multiple angles.'
With a bachelor's degree in media and communication from Loughborough University and a fashion design degree from the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Dayoub understands both the mechanics of fashion and its broader cultural impact.
'It's not just about people,' she said. 'The environment, culture, and even the economy are all part of fashion's story.' For this reason, she argues, fashion must be considered beyond the glossy spreads of magazines—as a socio-economic framework that can and should generate opportunities.
In the first episode of the series, Dayoub hosted Margarita Andrade, founder and chair of Threads of Hope, an initiative supporting around 400 migrant and refugee women in Egypt who work from home producing accessories.
For Dayoub, ethics is a crucial part of the fashion conversation—the discussion's key theme is workers' rights.
Andrade emphasized the need for enterprise managers to be sensitive and committed, using terms like 'support,' 'training,' 'safety,' and 'protection.'
Dayoub wholeheartedly agreed. Ethical fashion, she said, benefits workers and offers them a stable present and the possibility of a better future.
'Whether a brand produces simple, local garments, haute couture, inexpensive accessories or fine jewellery—it's all the same,' she said. 'You have to see people and see through people.'
Amid an ongoing debate about European brands outsourcing high-end production to countries with cheap labour, Dayoub stressed that the question of ethical fashion could no longer be ignored.
'If we overlook this element,' she warned, 'then ethical fashion becomes a very hard concept to define.' She also flagged other key concerns: environmental sensitivity, product sustainability, and the safety of materials used—particularly regarding toxicity and microplastics. 'There are many issues because the concept of ethical fashion is evolving rapidly and becoming more central.'
The rise of fast fashion versus sustainable fashion has been a hot topic in recent years, fuelled by media reports on poor working conditions—even in the factories of well-known luxury brands. Long hours, low pay, and harsh conditions contrast the price tags on the final products.
'Today, being sustainable is considered fashionable,' Dayoub said. And this, she added, applies across the board—from small local labels to global conglomerates.
Sustainability, she explained, is now deeply intertwined with environmental awareness, particularly as the climate crisis intensifies. It's also connected to growing concerns about health—especially regarding fabrics and dyes. 'People are starting to worry about what they're wearing—about chemicals and microplastics in their clothes.'
For Dayoub, fashion is also tied to identity. Following trends too rigidly, she warned, can lead to a kind of 'cognitive distance' from one's sense of self. 'Being so haunted by what's in vogue can result in unintentional self-isolation,' she said. 'Designers, producers and consumers alike need to stay grounded in reality—not just follow what's trending on TikTok or Instagram.'
She acknowledged that social media plays a powerful role in shaping fashion consumption. But she believes it can also be a space for cultivating wisdom and moderation. That's part of what inspired her collaboration with Diwan on the four-part What Is Fashion? series, which explores intersections between fashion and climate, health, and psychology.
Interest in ethical, sustainable, and eco-conscious fashion is growing in Egypt, Dayoub said, echoing a global trend. And many new local brands are embracing this shift. 'Some people are really trying to push boundaries,' she said.
She also pointed to the rise in boutique shopping and the popularity of pre-loved fashion online as possible offshoots of this broader movement towards sustainability and consumption moderation.
She noted that fashion consumption is cyclical. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in what became known as 'dopamine dressing'—vibrant, mood-boosting styles. However, as economic uncertainty sets in globally, the focus is shifting again, with interest in modest fashion and minimalism rising.
What's 'in', she said, is now about authenticity. 'People are leaning into their own style—choosing pieces that suit their personal aesthetics, rather than simply following whatever's trending through PR hauls or influencer unboxings.'
'Of course, some influence is inevitable,' she added. 'But what matters is that people make their own decisions.' Whether shopping on a tight budget or indulging in high-end labels, she insisted, fashion should ultimately be 'a matter of style.'
Follow us on:
Facebook
Instagram
Whatsapp
Short link: