Always passionate about handmade work, the in credibly talented fifty-year-old Hala Ezzat retrieves through her project Hala Ezzat Designs- her old interest in designing authentic, handmade products, proving that genuine passion has no age or time rules.
When she was just a student in high school, she used to make her own leather bags when hand-made products were not as com mon. She would spend her time drawing, sewing, playing around with materials, and simply creat ing products. Back then, it was just a side hobby that she gradu ally got distracted from when she got married and dedicated all her time to her two daughters. ‘Tm extremely happy I took this break to raise my daughters. I have no regrets whatsoever. They’re now my friends,” Hala says.
Ironically, years later she found her daughter sharing her very same interest and wanted to start her project as well. With enthusiasm, the then forty-year-old Hala helped her run the project until she took over entirely when the daughter had to focus on study ing. “I kept telling myself what’s wrong with starting late? I had a lot of free time because my girls grew up, and started having their own lives and studies,” Hala recalls.
And so she did. With her uniquely artistic and colorful designs, she started displaying her products in galleries and big bazaars, and they’re now available at the Fash ion Avenue Cairo.
At first, Hala had some trouble with people who did not really get what handmade designs are about. ‘Tm not working just for the sake of working, I love hand made products and I wanted people to acknowledge that,” she adds.
With her dedication, Hala now gets a lot of appreciation for her designs, and when she does not personally attend a bazaar, they call her to ask.
Hala’s family also played a great role in helping her launch the project, especially her daughters who taught her a lot -especially with handling her Instagram page. Her elder daughter some times works with her and from Hala’s description, we’re absolutely positive that talent runs in their family. “I always tell her she always gives me great positive energy and inspiration,” Hala tells us about her daughter.
To all women who’re still hesitant about starting their own projects, or doing anything they love for that matter, on what society la bels as “late”, Hala has something for you, “Never say it’s too late to start. Nobody outgrows learning. As long as we’re living and breath ing, we should keep learning.” She stresses on how her lifestyle and personality have changed with her project’s ongoing expansion because she’s always looking for something new to develop or learn.
And one last note from Hala, “#Mesh_3eeb_3ala_senek to start anything you’ve never tried doing, and learn how to do it properly.”
Check out Hala’s unique designs through her Instagram and Facebook Pages: Bala Ezzat Designs. We promise you’ll fall in love with her as we did.
