Story By: Basant Essam, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

This 20-year-old Egyptian student with dwarfism has produced the country’s first ever collection of clothes especially for persons of short stature.

Budding fashion designer Nesma Yahia, who also models her impressive range, is a student in the Egyptian city of Mansoura.

Yahia, who studies at Mansoura University and promotes her collection on social media, told Newsflash: “When I was at prep school, I suffered a lot with buying new clothes.

“I can’t find many things in my size so I often have to buy children’s items.

“If I buy adult clothing, I have to trim a lot off to fit my size, which has always annoyed me.

Yahia told Newsflash that she has dwarfism, which results from a medical or genetic condition, adding: “I felt that we are a marginalised part of society. Even clothes are not available to us.

“So I decided to buy materials and drew up designs I liked before asking a producer for help making them.”

Yahia started taking the idea seriously about a year ago, adding: “The designs are not limited to a specific age group, I have designs for women who wear hijab and those who don’t as well as articles for men.

“I designed the collection so that it does not show too much of the body and does not make us appear too short, and not necessarily to cope with recent fashion trends. The most important thing is that the item fits and the person loves wearing them.”

Yahia told Newsflash: “My family has supported me and helped a lot. They always wanted me to do well for myself. They hoped that I could do something positive with the negative energy I get.”

She added: “In the future, I hope to receive backing and make my brand international rather than just here in Egypt.

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