Frédérique: From Client to Souâd Feriani Model

Where did you first meet Souâd Feriani?
“Or did you discover her collection first, and only later meet the designer behind the brand?”

I first encountered Souâd Feriani’s creations through her very first pop-up eight years ago, which at the time was located opposite the current boutique in Hasselt.

What struck me was the way her designs are not only beautiful, but also carry a refined strength — a quiet language of identity and softness at once.

It was also during that moment that I met the designer behind the collection, and I immediately felt the deep coherence between who she is as a woman and the world she expresses through her work.

Her collection embodies exactly that sensitivity: refinement with an inner backbone.

What does wearing Souâd Feriani mean to you?
“How do you feel in her designs, and what makes them different for you from other brands?”

Wearing Souâd Feriani feels like coming home to a version of myself that is both strong and refined.

Her designs embrace the body without hiding it or overpowering it. They enhance who you are, without forcing you to become anything else.

What sets her work apart for me is that it is not only fashion, but a form of resonance: every fabric, line and colour seems attuned to an inner value.

It does not feel like simply getting dressed, but like aligning with who you truly are.

How do you experience working with Souâd, both as a client and as a model?
“What makes it so special to be part of her creative process?”

Working with Souâd never feels one-sided. Even as a client, you do not feel like a consumer, but part of the larger world from which her creations emerge.

As a model, that feeling becomes even deeper: you literally step into her vision, while still preserving your own identity.

What makes our collaboration so special is that Souâd listens — not only with her ears, but with her eyes and her heart.

She sees who you are, and allows that to breathe within the process.

As a result, it does not feel as though you are simply “wearing” something, but rather embodying it.

Why is it important to you to be visible in fashion as a plus-size woman?
“What would you like to pass on to other women?”

For me, being visible in fashion as a plus-size woman is not about fitting into an ideal, but about remembering a strength that had always been there — and that became clearly visible in the photos.

In those images, I recognised something I may have felt before, but had never seen so clearly: my own strength. Not as something I had to prove, but as something that simply exists.

That is the experience I would love to pass on to other women.

You do not have to change anything about yourself to be allowed to feel powerful, stylish or visible. That strength is already within you — sometimes, it simply needs an image to be remembered.

For me, being visible in fashion as a plus-size woman is also not about “diversity” as a trend, but about truth.

There is not one single body that defines beauty. Beauty emerges when someone dares to show herself as she is, in her full form and strength.

 

Do you have a favourite piece or memory that you associate with Souâd Feriani?

When I think of Souâd Feriani, I immediately think of her wool scarves.They give me comfort and a sense of being wrapped — as if I am wearing something that protects me without hiding me. They bring colour and style in such a natural way, without me needing to add anything else. Her silk dresses tell a completely different story. They carry so much refinement and grace that I immediately feel different the moment I wear them. They transform my posture and support my strength. Each piece carries something of her soul — and at the same time, something of mine.

Zeker — hier is de Engelse vertaling, mooi aansluitend bij de vorige antwoorden:

What does style mean to you?
“Is it a form of expression, strength, freedom?”

For me, style is not a mask, but a mirror. It is not a way of becoming something — it is a way of revealing what is already there. For me, style is freedom, because I choose how I want to be visible.It is strength, because it comes from self-knowledge. And it is expression, but not as a shout — rather as a whisper that still says everything.In the right style, I do not feel dressed up, but aligned with who I am.