INTERVIEW WITH TALA SIRAJ
I am excited to share with you the story of Tala Siraj, a dear friend. Born and raised in Jordan, Tala is the co-founder of Jordan’s most prominent and influential Social media accounts today; @AmmanStreetFashion. Knowing her from school, Tala has always been one of those really smart and hardworking ladies, admired by all those who know her. She moved to Chicago to pursue her university education in Engineering and Economics and is currently working in her educational capacity in a pharmaceutical company. Having created @AmmanstreetFashion as an outlet to share Jordanian fashion along with inspirational posts from around the world, the page has transformed into a powerful voice for women in Jordan, showcasing Amman’s great sense of style and talent, through collaborative works and pop up events. Get to know the lovely Tala:
What was the starting point of @AmmanStreetFashion? What made you start this platform and how has it evolved?
Fashion has always been my passion and I decided to pursue the blog as a side hobby. The idea of street fashion accounts was trending on Instagram at that time (4 years ago), pages such as @Dubaistreetstyle and @Styleinbeirut inspired us to start one for Amman, since we already have a lot of of highly fashionable people. It started as a hobby where we wanted to share fashion inspiration on a platform and then it grew over the years to become the most followed fashion account in Jordan.
What about the newly launched @Ido.962 platform for bridal inspiration, have you noticed a gap when you were planning your wedding?
Yes, while I was preparing for my wedding, I noticed that there was no platform that presents the works and talents that are involved in setting up a wedding. There were accounts for weddings in Beirut and Dubai but nothing in Amman. I spent countless days trying and meeting multiple professionals and visiting bridal shops, planners and photographers to get together the perfect team for my wedding, and it was actually difficult. I decided to start @ido.962 to share Jordan's bridal experiences as well as mine, hoping it would become a useful platform to all future brides.
If you can describe your sense of style briefly, what would you say?
Comfortable.
What is the most precious piece of jewelry you have or ever received as a gift?
My Tiffany bracelet as it has two T’s facing each other and it happens to be the first initial of both my name and my husband’s.
If you were a piece of jewelry what you would you be ( I.e: ring, bracelet, necklace), and why?
A ring, I love rings and believe that they always have a sentimental value
What letters did you choose for your HJ customised Duo Rings, and what’s the story?
I chose letters ت and ط, it’s the first initial of my name and my husband’s name. I love the idea of how the rings come together as one, they represent the unity and unanimity in relationships.
What is a typical day routine for Tala Siraj?
I wake up around 7.30, have my breakfast, shower and head to work. I spend my day at work between 9-5 where I am usually between meetings and complex excel sheets, I then head home around 5, have something to eat and then usually work out between 6 and 7 unless I have an event to attend. I do a few Amman Street Fashion updates here and there. In the evening I either visit family, friends or go out for dinner, a typical day in Amman.
What is your favourite spot in Amman and what’s your idea of an ideal evening?
My favorite spot has to be my favorite restaurant; sushi studio in Abdoun, they have amazing sushi and a nice outdoor seating area which I love.
What’s a cause you strongly believe in and what is your message to the world?
Women empowerment, although initially this cause sounds very cliché, but through my work in the past few years I realized that women and especially in the Arab world have so much potential and can reach places if it weren’t for some societal setbacks. Arab women are extremely determined, ambitious and hardworking, they are also very creative, if given the right amount of support and the right tools, they will definitely take the Arab world to levels it has not deemed possible.
Follow her on @AmmanStreetFashion