In my own words — my story.

"Hello, I'm Lualawit Hailu Woldemariam. I want the world to see how beautiful the Ethiopian dress really is — and to feel invited into the centuries of craft that live inside every stitch."

I'm twenty-six years old, a designer and seamstress based in Addis Ababa. I started this atelier because I wanted to bring the Habesha kemis, the chiffon evening gown and the embroidered kaftan to a new generation of Ethiopian women — and to women around the world who have never had the chance to wear one.

I sketch, cut and fit every gown myself, and I work closely with the Tibeb weavers and embroidery artisans of Shiro Meda. I keep every step of production within a small, trusted circle of women I have grown up alongside.

My ambition is simple: to introduce Ethiopian dress culture to the world, one gown at a time — without losing any of the craft, ceremony or quiet beauty it has always carried.