This 1950s-style skirt combines classic elegance with meaningful cultural elements. The design is inspired by the Habesha Kemis, a traditional Ethiopian dress. Featuring practical side pockets and a sleek back zipper, this skirt offers both style and function.

This piece honors Ethiopian journalist Gelila Mekkonen’s courageous journey across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, telling a story of perseverance and resilience. The hem is embellished with an embroidered poem in Amharic, written by Gelila, and framed with Chanel-style tweed trims.

‘Love, trust, strength, resilience, clear thinking, and above all, the hope to see tomorrow—these will guide you through the desert, the wilderness, the storm, and the turbulent sea, and will ultimately lead you to triumph!’ Gelila Mekonnen, journalist

About the Design

Gelila fights for the right to speak freely and to amplify the voices of others. Her story is one of resilience and courage. In her story she describe a perilous journey together with illegal immigrants through sahara desert from Sudan to Lybia.

Her story made me picture the desert as a blank page—a space of solitude and inspiration—where Gelila wrote her poems. I imagined her standing beneath a vast sky, surrounded by endless sands, whispering her hopes into the night.

The fabric I used for the trims is a glamorous Chanel-style luxurious tweed, associated with city life, luxury, and women’s empowerment. This skirt carries Gelila’s prayer to the Western world, sharing the voices of those in need of help.