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Requiring expertise, dedication and establishing a name for one’s self in the fashion world is no easy feat. Still, Hadia Sinno, a fashion expert and stylist, has done exactly that. With her in-depth knowledge, vibrant character and avant-garde style, Sinno stands out from others in the increasingly congested field.

Sinno is one of the first regional personalities to have a fashion TV show, and is credited with having introduced the sartorial concept of mix and match to the Arab world.

Having studied marketing and advertising as well as fashion design, she started out working in a variety of fields. Aside from trying to make it as a fashion pundit, she hosted modern and alternative rock shows and tried her hand in both public relations and advertising.

After working with the TV station MTV, she moved to Future TV in 1996 where she hosted the fashion program “Signee Future” for a few years before joining Alam al-Sabah, a daily morning show on the same channel.

Pictures: evening dresses online

“At around 1996, I was specialized in fashion and only fashion,” Sinno said in an interview with The Daily Star. “With time, when you work and you do so many other things you realize that this is the thing that you’re strong in,” she explained enthusiastically.

Today, Sinno remains an influential fashion figure in the region, something that took her some time to achieve. It was around the year 2000 that people really began to pay attention, she said.

Before 2000, she recalled, the public considered her an amateur fashion enthusiast. After years on the air, however, she had gained a loyal following. “You feel that people want to listen to you, they want to listen to your vision and how you see things,” she said.

Still, Sinno had yet to win over critics who did not accept her unorthodox presenting style.

“[At the time] you had few TV stations and at the very beginning the presenters who were on air spoke perfect Arabic,” Sinno said , touching her pink-streaked hair. Critics did not readily accept her broken Arabic vernacular mixed with English and French.

“It was shocking for people; they didn’t understand if I am talking Arabic, [if] I am talking English, it was like, what the hell!”

But Sinno soon found that people were tuning in to see her unique style. “Some people used to adore me and some used to hate my guts, but people were talking about me in fact.”

Over the past 10 years, however, Sinno has noticed that fashion pundits in the region have adopted her decidedly cosmopolitan polyglot parlance. “You know, when I look back, I [realize that I] set a trend at the end of the day, which is good,” she said smiling.

Aside from her fashion segment on Alam al-Sabah, Sinno also works on other fashion-related projects. Today she consults individual clients regarding styling dos and don’ts, and also works in online production for lifestyle magazines in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Most recently, Sinno has been in the UAE for the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, where she has been tweeting about upcoming collections and snapping selfies with famous international designers.

Although she has been in the business for several years now, Sinno continues to do what she loves with the same interest and impulse.

“The world of fashion is so interesting for me because every day you have something new and every day you have a new trend ... you can do so many things,” she said, her eyes lighting up.

“I love to do this,” she added.

While Sinno was a regional fashion pioneer, the field has become crowded of late, particularly with the emergence of social media platforms like blogs and Instagram.

Aspiring fashionistas of all ages provide tips on what’s in and what’s not, how to wear accessories, and what to wear for a casual or formal night out.

Sinno, however, said this new generation of fashion commentators lacks expertise and structure.

“Listen, nowadays, especially when I look around Instagram, every girl who likes fashion thinks she is a fashion expert, which is not the case. No, it needs some time,” Sinno said defensively.

So what does it take for someone to gain prominence in the fashion industry? According to Sinno, one needs to have a combination of knowledge and practical experience.

Fashion, Sinno said, is the reflection of society and analyzing trends requires much more than familiarity with different brands and couture designers. The lack of familiarity with the history of major fashion houses and what differentiates their iconic styles has caused many would-be fashion pundits to flop, Sinno said.

“Many presenters came in wanting to do fashion, saying that they’re going to be the best, but because they don’t know anything about it [they were unsuccessful], you know they’re just intruders,” Sinno said.

“You have to have a good background in fashion, you have to know very well the history of fashion, the fashion revolution and the social style because fashion follows everything that happens around us. Like whenever we have a crisis we see that it’s reflected on the clothes.”

Keeping up to date, however, is a challenge for designers and experts alike, Sinno said.

“You have so many names in fashion that don’t exist [anymore] because they didn’t keep themselves up-to-date with what’s going on. With me I have to go on with the online [world]. I have to go with the flow.”

Through following professional magazines, keeping an eye on major fashion shows, monitoring the blogosphere and meeting veteran and rising designers, Sinno has managed to keep up with the latest ins and outs in the fashion industry.

But who determines what is fashionable? Industry A-listers and experts are largely responsible for setting trends in motion, Sinno said. Fabric choices, she added, are particularly important, followed by colors and cuts.

Sinno explained that currently “we are living in a cycle of nostalgia” where some of the main trends include pastel colors, casual street wear, ’90s inspired designs as well as the rise of “timeless pieces at luxury brands” that can be used from a season to another.

According to Sinno, we are also witnessing a rise in smart fabric by some designers. Smart fabrics, which have recently become more affordable than in years past, can absorb bad smells and can help the body maintain a certain temperature.

But even as trends wax and wane, some constant themes prevail. Sinno believes that simple, chic styles will always be in vogue.

But as the number of designers continues to burgeon, being fashionable does not necessarily require deep pockets.

“You can be fashionable with a small budget, but you have to know what to choose, to know about the fabric, to know about the colors that suit you ... you can even do mix-and-match between the big brands and the small brands.”

See also: Formal Dresses 2014