It’s 2020, and social media, especially Instagram, is the place to be if you’re following the latest trends in fashion. That’s where you’ll find the fashion influencers who are important trend setters today. Our ‘Face of the Future’, Ingy Elengebawy, is one such fashion influencer making waves and setting trends on Instagram. eniGma’s Ezz Al-Turkey sat down with Elengebawy to get the scoop on her latest endeavours and to discuss how she views her rapidly growing presence on social media platforms.
Like many young girls, Ingy Elengebawy’s interest in fashion began at a tender young age, dressing up her Barbie dolls, matching their outfits and even creating unique ones herself. Not surprisingly, as she grew up, Elengebawy transitioned from dressing her dolls to dressing herself up. As her passion for fashion continued to grow, she went on to study Fashion and Personal Styling at the London College of Style, where she learnt about the different faces of the industry.
Determined to enter the professional world of styling, Elengebawy started her own fashion blog to express her fashion style and to advise on the dos and don’ts of fashion. She received amazingly positive feedback with her blog and social media pages, attracting more followers every day. Clearly, she had picked a great platform to kickstart her dream career in fashion. “I think social media is really powerful. That’s where a lot of people got to know me. It really gave me a lot of exposure and my followers were very supportive,” she says excitedly. Elengebawy’s aesthetically-pleasing Instagram page, reveals her unique style. She tends to lean towards street style fashion with a brush of edge and a sprinkle of comfort. She always looks dashing, but without appearing to overdo things.
Elengebawy is optimistic about the future of fashion in Egypt, compared to the outlook a few years ago. Pointing to the rise of top-notch designers like Temraza and Kojak, and fashion stylists and enthusiasts like herself, Elengebawy asserts, “I think that we are doing very well in Egypt, especially in the last couple of years. However, we still need to further encourage our local Egyptian designers to go even further!”
While social media is the main place where Elengebawy’s magic happens today, she has bigger plans in mind for the future. While she loves being online, she hopes to venture into other types of media, mainly television, to expand her career. “I’ve always dreamt of having my own styling TV show. But I want it to be different. I want to help girls get to know their body shape and their skin’s undertone. I want them to be comfortable enough in their bodies and to learn about the trends that will help them bring out their best features,” she exclaims.
In a world full of fashion influencers, Elengebawy is thankful that she managed to find a niche for herself. It didn’t come easily, however. “I am a very hard worker,” says Elengebawy, adding, “I’m always trying to get new ideas. But I believe that what makes me stand out is being natural. I speak the way I do normally. I don’t fake it. What you see on social media is actually just 10 percent of my life. It makes me really happy when I get a comment that says they think I’m not like other people on social media; that I’m different.”
Elengebawy understands the power that comes with a platform like her own, and she insists that her aim is to spread joy and inspire others through her media presence. She sums it up saying, “I want to have a positive impact on my followers. I want to help people look good but also inspire them. Although fashion is important to me, the most important message I want to convey is to be happy no matter what. You can aim to look great, but you don’t need to look prefect all the time.”