Neutral earthy tones, pops of chili red, sunny yellow, pink and blue pastels, we took a Rendez-vous with Karla, to learn more about her easy, breezy brand YAS, all about linen.
YAS was lauched in November 2023. Before that, Karla was a financial engineer, and worked 8 years in the corporate world, behind her cubicle in an 8am to 5pm job. She enjoyed her career path but felt like something was missing. She was an artist at heart, often sketching ‘random stuff, things we find in nature.’ Once, she had an event to attend, a yoga retreat on the shores of Batroun, and had pictured the exact outfit she wanted to wear, ‘slightly oversized, comfy, in neutral hues, and with a kimono to wear on top.’ She couldn’t find what she had imagined in any boutique, so she went to an atelier to craft it. She was told the timing was a little tight, and so decided to look for the fabric herself. She remembers when she visited a supplier in Zalka, focused on linen fabrics, where she chose the color and texture she wanted. The process left a beautiful imprint on her, it was the feeling of accomplishment, crafting something she liked. Her friends started asking her for designs and the project ‘leveled up, it became a baby brand.’ The entrepreneur designed her first collection in winter 2023, Gaia, in earthy, neutral tones, olive green, chocolate brown, off white or black. Rendez-vous is Karla’s summer collection, which features playful cutout or buttoned up short dresses, embroidered kimonos, classic shorts, tailored and flowy sets with a summery pastel pink, greenish blue and soft neutrals palette. She embraced versatile linen as the underlying narrative for her brand infusing it with a unique identity, a reflection of her easy, comfortable, oversized, tailored style.
Karla tells us about the many types of linen; from medium weight she uses for her winter jackets, to lightweight that keeps us fresh in summer. Whenever possible she goes for organic fabric, hard to find in Lebanon. She has been in touch with suppliers to start importing her own organic linen. The learning curve has been steep this past year, but the entrepreneur wants to keep a high standard throughout her process; from the photoshoots and content creation for which she is also collaborating with a member of her family, to the choice of fabrics and atelier, and her customer service. In every package, Karla drops hints of jasmine scent, where the name YAS comes from (yasmeen), to evoke that natural spirit of her brand. Her collection which is already available on her website and on Lemonade fashion, will now be in physical locations, starting with 53 Beirut boutique in Hazmieh and Alice Edde in Byblos, with an eye to enter the Gulf countries soon. She is very much looking forward to interacting more with clients, conversing with them about styling, fittings and alterations. She was also approached for customizations, and after some reflection, decided to embrace this new outlet, while staying true to the mood of the brand. YAS has a no waste policy; when Karla saw the remaining fabric scraps of cut patrons, she didn’t want them to get thrown so she decided to make colorful tote bags that come with matching pouches. She is working on new drops, and will soon reveal in her collection the first set she wore back when it all started, when she had envisioned the perfect outfit for her yoga event, now inking it in the story of YAS.
