Filmmaker Ala Hamdan on modest wear at the Torino Fashion Week: 'The event was a step forward'

The young filmmaker tells us how her branding package and mentorship will help the three winning designers

Ala Hamdan. Courtesy AT Films

Ala Hamdan, who studied film directing at the New York Film Academy in Florence and is the co-founder of AT Films, was responsible for identifying the top three modest wear brands at Torino Fashion Week.

How will the top three designers be rewarded?

The main goal is to help the designers brand their products on social media. Their work is fantastic but it needs to be highlighted more.

With more than 400,000 active followers on social media, I will be able to help them in campaigning their new line of modest fashion. I will be using photos from the catwalk to promote their products. I will be directing and releasing a short promotional video and each designer can use it to present their work. I’ll also be connecting the designers with social media influencers in the modest fashion industry.

READ MORE: 

• Modest fashion takes a turn on Italian runways
• How these hijab-wearing pink ladies stole the show at Torino Fashion Week

What were the highlights of Torino Fashion Week?

Some of my best moments were seeing the designers working so hard backstage to present the best quality they could. Other moments were seeing the expressions of the audience when they saw fashion that’s colourful, elegant, cheerful and modest.

Having models on the catwalk with hijab and modern, modest fashion is not something European countries are used to seeing. This event was a great step forward in breaking stereotypes about Muslim women.

How can short films help a start-up fashion label?

Videos are becoming one of the best ways to reach an audience on social media. I have directed short public service announcements that reached more the five million views on Facebook and thousands on Instagram.

According to Comscore, adding a video to your website can increase the chance of a front-page Google result by 53 times, and audiences are about ten times more likely to engage, embed, share and comment on video than blogs or social posts.

Also, marketing wise, recent research shows that 71 per cent of marketers say video conversion rates outperform other marketing content and have been proven to positively affect consumer decision-making.

How important is social media for emerging fashion brands?

The biggest country in the world is Facebook. If you are a brand owner, knowing the best strategies to use on social media is one of the most important parts of your marketing strategy. It will help the designer engage with their audience. Also, the audience will feel more connected and faithful to that brand.

On the other hand, the necessity of entering the fashion world strongly demands a great implementation of social media. The fashion industry is established with deep roots, so modest fashion must work harder to put itself on the map.