We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eiman Hamza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eiman below.

Alright, Eiman thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I am the typical cliche story of a singer who “sang before she could speak.” My dad had instilled music in our household at a very young age, teaching my two sisters and I the guitar, violin and me how to sing. I would write music in my room, expressing all of my deepest feelings in lyrical form and then when I was a teen I realized I could express myself through fashion as well. I started making my own clothes and had written in my diary that one day I would pursue a career in music & fashion. I also, wrote down pediatrician because I have always been passionate about taking care of children and thought that was the only way how. God bless pediatricians, I wouldn’t be able to last an hour as one. Fast forward and I am 18 years old auditioning for a girl group in L.A. I pass the all the tiers of auditions with flying colors until it came down to the choreography part. Epic fail. I still have PTSD over it. The music industry at that time was only about girl groups, sexy clothing, lyrics without feeling and a whole dance routine. You can’t put a 1-2-3-4 count on these Egyptian hips. I had to accept that it just wasn’t my time for music and that was really hard. So I went to college for Fashion and started one of the first street style brands that became very successful. It was the right time but it took up 10 years of my life. I had moved to Italy, opened 42 stores, distributed the brand in over 3,500 stores worldwide, had over 200 employees and a factory in Italy. It was a lot and once I was able to be free from it I immediately began expressing myself through music. In one sitting I wrote 13 songs! There was such a deep need in me to release and re-connect with the little girl within me. I am now able to be fully authentic in my artistry and create music the way I want to. Once I have learned to trust the timing of things and accept it even if it doesn’t align with my personal wishful timeline, time has never failed me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I think like most creatives we find ourselves expressing ourselves in many different ways or forms of art. For me, I’ve always led with fashion & music simultaneously. Creating a lifestyle brand right out of college served my purpose in wanting to do something that was different! I wanted to be a leader in innovation and do revolutionary things within the fashion industry. The brand was born during the greatest financial economic crisis in 2006 with the idea to sell $10 tees to high end stores that were closing their doors, failing. We were positioned next to Prada, Gucci, Saint Laurent etc. and the concept took off like wildfire. At that time no one was making t-shirts and sweats. Now everyone and their mom has a t-shirt or sweat line. We had created such a beautiful community through the brand, we did something no no one else was doing, even created a reality show on MTV Italia about the family behind the brand that had never been done before. We were trailblazers in the fashion industry in so many ways. However, the industry changed and for better or worst it was time to part ways. I took a year off to figure out who Eiman Hamza was without the brand. Let me tell you, that was HARD. Stepping into the unknown and leaving behind something that was such a monumental or fundamental piece of my identity was really uncomfortable. That discomfort led me to finding out my next purpose and meaning in life and all points directed to music, my first passion.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is not caring what others think. I’ll admit it is still a work in progress. Growing up my culture was so tied to what other people thought and what they would or could say. As you grow up you realize those people are not sleeping in your bed with your thoughts and your doings at the end of the day. So I am in a constant learning mode to really shut out the judgement police and just become the best version of myself that I can be. I will make mistakes but I will learn from them. Living a life for other people on their standards is just not my vibe at all.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes. My particular goal or mission driving my creativity is doing something different and being a good representation for others like me. I never had good representation of Arab girls or an Arab artist for that matter growing up and if I can show even one child that they have a space in music, art or fashion then, goal accomplished. In my sound I am mixing both my worlds as an Egyptian & American and that has also never been done before. I’m working within a very tight space which keeps it exciting, stressful and challenging to my creativity, which I love!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eimanhamza.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eimanhamza/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eimanhamza
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EimanHamza
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eimanhamza?lang=en

Image Credits
Photographer Miles Stancil