Welcome To The MH Universe
A Rising Couture Fashion House
Written by Edward Marriott
21st February 2022
MH Mena is a rising couture womenswear brand and fashion house, founded by creative director Mena Hamoodi. Mena Hamoodi launched her eponymous label in 2019, releasing her first collection “Rise” for Autumn/Winter 2021. MH Mena is inspired by an expansive philosophy and an ambitious mission:
For every woman to unlock their most beautiful, empowered version of themselves through bespoke, made-to-measure fashion. MH Mena combines the craftsmanship and skill of traditional artisan dress making, with the perpetual and ever-changing demands of contemporary fashion and their clientele. MH Mena is continuously evolving and reinventing the potentialities of couture fashion.
MH Mena creates custom-made dresses for clients that truly reflect their vision, dreams, and aspirations; taking their brief and transforming it into an exclusive garment designed solely for them.
No piece of fabric is spared – MH Mena is committed to becoming a sustainable fashion house that doesn’t produce any waste, sourcing and using only the finest materials tailored specifically for each client and design.
At the core of MH Mena is a team of diverse, collaborative, passionate women; dedicated to creating and experimenting with fashion that draws inspiration from art, culture, and literature around the globe.
MH Mena is only at the beginning of their journey; the vision for the MH Mena universe is ambitious and limitless.
The design process is housed in MH Mena’s London atelier. This is where creative director Mena and the MH Mena team work tirelessly to sketch, design, stitch and craft every garment; collectively building the pieces, styles and collections that define MH Mena.
Despite MH Mena’s base in London, their operations and clientele are global. Every woman from every corner of the earth deserves to wear fashion that authentically and honestly embodies their vision of femininity, sophistication, playfulness, and empowerment.
That is why the design process can be as collaborative as clients desire; giving them the opportunity to adapt and amend even the smallest detail until they are totally enamoured with the final product. MH Mena dedicates as much time to a client as they require, working with them until there is a perfectly sculpted piece, no matter the brief or occasion. Every dress is produced with intricated detail, sometimes taking up to 2500 hours to create.
Perpetual reinvention and evolution.
The MH Mena universe grows with each collection and hand-crafted garment it creates. The couture process always begins with a one-on-one consultation at a time and places that suits the client. From the measurements to the pattern cutting and beyond, MH Mena’s design process methodology follows the highest standards and practises of traditional European couture dress making.
This ensure that everything MH Mena creates is of the highest, luxury standard. However, traditional craftsmanship doesn’t limit the evolving and visionary prospects of MH Mena. Mena and the team are continuously sketching and designing, discovering something new, moving through a mosaic of colours, materials, images, music, literature, and art from around the world.
In the Autumn, Winter 2021 “Rise” collection, MH Mena drew inspiration from the stars and astronomy. The collection combined the timeless silhouettes of the early 40s and 50s, with an array of rich, dazzling colours that embodied the celestial night sky. Each garment is named after a star from the astronomical calendar, which are in turn named after the transcendent women of Greek mythology. The Rise collection therefore exists at the intersection of luxury and fantasy, ancient mythology and sophisticated 20th century fashion.
Founder & Creative Director, Mena Hamoodi, and the future of MH Mena.
Mena Hamoodi grew up immersed in a world of storytelling, art and poetry gifted to her by the strong, passionate women who nurtured her upbringing. Mena is of Middle Eastern and English heritage. It was at a young age she realised the liminality and infusions that exists between art and fashion; cultures separated by oceans; the intimate relationship between the deep past and the present.
Now, she is looking to the future with her own brand that pioneers modern innovation without losing the traditional, artisan craftsmanship she has mastered and honed. A future that pays homage to her history, heritage, and lineage. MH Mena isn’t possible without the contributions of the MH Mena team.
Mena is driven to create a fashion house that is inclusive and accessible for all women, moving towards a future where designers and creators from around the world have the opportunity to design and collaborate with MH Mena. MH Mena’s couture has the power to unlock women’s deepest desires and vision through bold, elegant, bespoke and luxury fashion.
Beyond the finished garment, the MH Mena universe stands for so much more. It envisions an inclusive, diverse future for women, where couture is accessible for us all and wields a power and potential that is personal to each and every one of us.