Chips Pepsi Canary aka. Chibs Bibs Canary

Jordanian fashion designer Tania Haddad founder of Tania George, pays homage to classical objects from our Arab 90's childhoods, stylizing them and making patterns out of nostalgic memories for her latest collection entitled "Chibs Bibs Canary".

The brand has a mellow aesthetic and youthful appeal, with infectious patterns that make you want to zoom in and learn more. I reached out to Tania after coming across a piece of hers, where she used an old milk carton as a pattern for one of her garments.

@lightsandcharlie and @elshab_elauthentic shot by @chebmoha  for Tania George — @lightsandcharlie and @elshab_elauthentic shot by @chebmoha for Tania George

The use of Arab products, icons, statements, typography, and language overall has slowly become a trend in Middle Eastern streetwear - if there even is such a thing as of yet - this brand manages to harness the essence of the young and bold Arabian soul. Through an accurate depiction of attitude, personality and looks, and using models that represent a culture and aesthetic of youthful creatives in the Gulf.

We spoke to Tania, on building a brand that respects heritage through more than just the use of Arabic text, but incorporates mundane objects from everyday life in Jordan and makes them eternally more interesting using art and fashion design, but most importantly through cut and authentic craft.

Who is the Tania George male/female? Tell us more about you as a designer and pattern maker.

I Tania Haddad, the founder of Tania George, was born and raised in Amman, Jordan.

I got my fashion design degree from Polimoda Fashion Institute in Florence. I then discovered a love for textile design and print making after my work experience at the famous Italian textile design producer Stamparia Fiorentina in Prato. I also worked at renowned fashion houses Tibi, TSE cashmere and Moises De La Renta in New York before heading back to Jordan in 2015 to found Tania George and launch my eponymous brand.

What is the main source of inspiration behind your brand? How do you incorporate different cultural backgrounds into your garments?

When getting inspired for the brand, I always base it on Jordan and Jordanian surroundings. It's been my main source of inspiration for a long time now, and it drives me to create and show the world how Jordanian life.

I am obsessed with the milk carton sweater, what was the inspiration behind it?

Our latest SS18 collection, titled ‘Chibs, Bibs, Canary’ (aka RECESS) is about nostalgic simplicity. The collection explores youthful joys of the past; the happiness found in a can of Pepsi, a bag of chips or a bar of Canary in Amman. Today, happiness is much harder to come by. The collection will hopefully take you back to simpler days and inspire you to appreciate the little things in life. [Disclaimer: Pepsi, chips and Canary might not make you happy].

Any other information you'd like to share ...

Yes our clothes are cute, but Tania George runs deeper than a bag of cotton candy. All of our items are handcrafted by local tailors from around the Middle East, who inherited their skills through generations of family tradition.

True it will be cheaper to producer abroad, but that’s not what we’re about. Um Bayan
from Palestine, Seta from Iraq and Abdel Razaq from Syria are our very talented tailors in charge of producing our ‘Chibs Bibs Canary’ collection. Their unique approaches and techniques is what makes Tania George what it is, a company that values heritage.