Sew What? LIC FLEA 18 | BOROMAG.COM | OCTOBER 2013 One of the most eye-captivating booths at the LIC Food & Flea each weekend belongs to Queensbased designer, Robin Dameshe Shumays. From mirror chips to exotic fabrics utilized in oftentimes whimsical, sometimes even iconic designs, her clothing is inarguably unique, and exempli es what is so wonderful about having a venue like the LIC Flea to showcase local artists and designers. is issue, we stopped by Robin’s booth for a more in-depth Q&A. BORO: When did you create Henna Flower? Little Wowwa? RDS: I started henna ower in 2009, though I envisioned the concept long before I started designing. e name comes from a 1957 Egyptian musical called ‘tamr henna’ which means henna ower. I thought that name was the perfect representation of my vision. Henna can be found in India, Africa and the Middle East, and is used for celebrations. e color and the designs are often very rich and ornate. My dresses are de nitely re ection of that. In 2010, I gave birth to sweet little girl, and I started making tops and dresses for her. e vision for littlewowwa took shape shortly after. I really see it as an extension of henna ower. BORO: How long have you been designing? RDS: I’ve been sewing since I was 9 or 10. My mom had a sewing machine. She was self-taught, and she taught me—however, neither of us really knew what we were doing! rough the years I would go through phases of getting back into sewing, but because I didn’t really know a lot, I would give up on it. In 2008, I found a designer, named Sumie Tachibana who lived nearby. Sumie taught private sewing classes, and I started taking lessons with her. Sumie is basically a creative genius, and I learned everything I know from her.
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