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Wearing Heritage Across Borders at the 2025 Pride of Nation Awards – Nadine Lawandos

Wearing Heritage Across Borders at the 2025 Pride of Nation Awards – Nadine Lawandos

Nadine Lawandos

Q: Nadine Lawandos: Your work is deeply connected to cultural identity. What inspired you to start this journey?
A: I started with CreaArt as a brand, designing clothes of our country’s culture in a trendy and beautiful way, so you can go to events wearing my design pieces of each country to represent your homeland.

Q: Your philosophy speaks about clothing being more than fabric. Can you share that vision with us?
A: This is not just an abaya, it is a declaration. A declaration of pride. A declaration of belonging. A declaration of a story carried through thread and needle, stitched with intention, shaped with devotion, and worn with meaning. Each design is more than fabric and form; it is cultural heritage translated into elegance. Every line reflects identity, every pattern echoes tradition, and every detail carries the spirit of a nation that lives not only on land, but in the hearts of its people. I do not create garments simply to be seen; I create pieces to be felt, understood, and remembered.

Q: What does it mean to you when someone wears a piece inspired by their homeland?
A: To wear a piece inspired by your country is to carry your roots with grace. It is to walk into a room and bring your homeland with you, quietly yet powerfully. Because identity does not need to shout to be present, it radiates through authenticity. This is the essence behind what I create: transforming national spirit into timeless design, and turning heritage into something you can wear.

Q: Nadine Lawandos: You’ve had the opportunity to represent your culture on international stages. Can you tell us about those experiences?

A: I represented my country, Lebanon, through Lions Club International in Orlando. I wore a dress from my designs that represents Lebanon, and I walked in the Parade of Nations in Orlando in 2025.

Walking in that parade, I felt the weight of my homeland upon my shoulders. Every step carried Lebanon with me, the cedar, the mountains, and the heartbeat of a nation that refuses to fade. In that moment, I was not just Nadine. I was in Lebanon. The energy of the crowd, it all became a magical aura wrapping around me. I felt seen, not just as a designer, but as a messenger of identity.

And in 2026, I went to Tunisia to a convention, Koul el Arab. For the opening ceremony, I wore a cape with the Tunisia flag to represent Tunisia, made from high-quality fabrics. Then, on the second day of Oriental Night, I wore an open abaya with the Lebanese flag that represents my country.

Standing on Tunisian soil, wrapped in their flag, moved me deeply. I felt their trust, their welcome, and their history embracing me. And when I transformed into my Lebanese self for Oriental Night, the next day, it was like coming home, two nights, two nations, one heart beating for both. There is magic in wearing who you are, unapologetically, beautifully, powerfully.

Q: Why is it important to translate national symbols like flags into wearable art?
A: The flag of a nation is not only a symbol, but it is also emotion, history, sacrifice, and identity. Translating that symbolism into wearable art requires sensitivity, understanding, and passion. That is why every design is created as a tribute, not simply an aesthetic. It is crafted to embody the essence of a place and the soul of its people.

Q: How do you balance honoring tradition while keeping your designs fashionable and modern?
A: I believe cultural fashion is a living art. It bridges past and present, tradition and modernity, memory and vision. Through carefully chosen textiles, refined silhouettes, and meaningful motifs, each piece honors heritage while embracing contemporary elegance. Nothing is random; every stitch is placed with purpose, every composition guided by respect for the culture it represents.

Q: Nadine Lawandos: What is the experience like for someone who commissions a custom piece from you?
A: Working with me is a creative journey, not simply a service. I invite you into the process itself, into the world where ideas become sketches, sketches become textiles, and textiles become statements. Together, we explore patterns, select fabrics, and design a piece that reflects your character, your presence, and your story. Every consultation is a dialogue, every choice intentional, every creation personal. You are welcome to visit my atelier and experience the process firsthand. Over a cup of coffee and a thoughtful conversation, a design can be born, not as a transaction, but as a collaboration. Because true creation happens when vision meets trust, and when craftsmanship meets the individual it is meant for.