Fashion Talk

by Mahlet Teklemariam

Hellina Mesfen, a Washington D.C.-based designer, has made her mark by mixing fabric and non-traditional fashion items.

Hellina was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This luminous lady started knitting and doing simple patterns at the age of 10. While her interest in fashion started at a young age, her dream of designing clothes for herself and others did not become reality until she came to the United States. She started designing and getting involved in shows while pursuing her undergraduate education. So far, she has participated in five different shows across the United States. She is actively looking for opportunities to show new and different designs using fabric and non-traditional fashion items. Her other interests include interior designing and collecting antique furniture. At the present time her design work is only for close friends and clients. She plans to start taking orders in the near future. She can be contacted at hmesfen@yahoo.com