Today we’d like to introduce you to Priness Faraj.
Hi Priness , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
IT STARTED WITH A NEEDLE AND THREAD
My story began when I was eight years old in Africa.
There was a tailor who lived and worked underneath our home. I would watch him work, fascinated by the fabric, the patterns, and the movement of the needle through the cloth.
That little tailor shop became my first classroom.
That was where I learned to hand-sew.
By fourteen, I was living in Lebanon and making clothes for myself.
I didn’t have a fashion studio. I didn’t have expensive equipment. I had fabric, a needle and thread, and a desire to create.
The first outfit I ever made became the beginning of something much bigger.
By seventeen, I was working in Beirut in sales and as a buying assistant.
That experience taught me a completely different side of fashion.
I learned how to sell.
I learned how to understand customers.
I learned how to recognize what women wanted and what made them feel beautiful.
I also had the opportunity to sell to wealthy women from Dubai, and being around that level of fashion and luxury taught me lessons that no classroom could have given me.
I began to understand that fashion wasn’t only about making a beautiful garment.
It was about the woman wearing it.
Her lifestyle.
Her expectations.
Her confidence.
Her desire to feel that something was made especially for her.
And then, at sixteen, the first outfit I had made helped me get my first job.
Those early experiences—behind the sewing machine, on the sales floor, and eventually working with buyers—became the foundation of the designer I would become.
At nineteen, I came to the United States to pursue fashion.
I studied at the Art Institute of New York City, and after graduating, I started my own fashion production company.
Then came MODMARA.
I launched my collection, Lux Navititi, and in 2018 I took MODMARA online.
I never looked back.
But I didn’t want to simply be someone who designed beautiful clothes.
I wanted to know the craft from the inside out.
I wanted to understand construction, patternmaking, fitting, alterations, production, and the business behind the garment.
So I kept learning.
And I kept reinvesting.
Everything I earned through fashion went back into the business.
I didn’t build this by borrowing from anyone.
I built it piece by piece.
Equipment by equipment.
Client by client.
Garment by garment.
Eventually, that journey led me to create FC Creative Studio in Union, New Jersey.
For eight years, I have taught sewing and patternmaking to more than 800 students.
Alongside the school, I built an alteration business, a fashion production company, and a CPR training business.
And eventually, I opened my first storefront.
Today, I am the designer behind Faraj Couture and MODMARA, and the founder of FC Creative Studio.
But when I look at everything I’ve built, I don’t just see businesses.
I see the little girl underneath that African home, watching a tailor work.
I see the teenager in Lebanon teaching herself how to create clothing.
I see the young woman in Beirut learning how to sell to women who expected luxury.
I see the nineteen-year-old who arrived in America with a dream.
And I see every woman who has sat in my classroom and picked up a needle for the first time.
Because that is what this journey has become.
It is no longer only about the clothes I make.
It is about what I can create—and what I can teach another woman to create with her own hands.
A skill that can begin as a hobby.
A skill that can become income.
A skill that can become a business.
A skill that can give a woman independence and confidence.
Everything I make still goes back to where I started:
A tailor’s shop beneath our home.
A needle.
A thread.
And a belief that every woman deserves something made just for her.
Fitted like a glove.
Made with intention.
Made to belong to her.
This is MODMARA.
And this is my story.
Princess Faraj
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has not been a smooth road, and many of the challenges I faced became an important part of who I am today.
When I moved from Lebanon to the United States, I had to start over in many ways. Learning English was one of my first major challenges. I had to learn how to read, write, communicate, and navigate a completely new environment and system.
Financially, I also struggled. I came to this country without the resources to pursue all the education and opportunities I wanted. I could not afford to continue into a master’s degree in fashion, so I found other ways to learn. I worked hard, took on internships, gained experience wherever I could, and taught myself many of the skills I needed. In many ways, I eventually became a master of my craft through experience, persistence, and continuous learning.
Another challenge was not having the funding to produce the level of work I knew I was capable of creating. I had the vision and the skills, but there were times when financial limitations prevented me from bringing that vision to life at the level I imagined.
I also had to learn how to navigate the business and fashion industries without always having the right guidance or mentorship. I didn’t always know where to turn, who to ask, or how to navigate the system properly. At the same time, I had responsibilities to my family and friends, and there were moments when I had to step back from my business to be there for the people I loved.
Those experiences taught me that talent alone is not always enough. Sometimes what people need most is access to knowledge, mentorship, resources, and someone who can show them the way.
That realization became one of the reasons I built my school. I wanted to create the kind of guidance and support I wish I had when I was starting out—to give others the knowledge, skills, mentorship, and insight they need to move forward with confidence.
Every obstacle became part of my education. Instead of allowing the challenges to stop me, I used them to build something that could help not only me, but the next person coming behind me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist and creative, working in fashion design, couture, and teaching sewing and patternmaking. I create original garments and collections through MODMARA and Faraj Couture while also sharing my knowledge of sewing and fashion production through my school. Fashion is how I turn ideas into something personal and wearable, and I use my experience to help others develop their own creative skills.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice to anyone just starting out is to learn your craft as deeply as you can and do not be afraid to start small. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin.
When I was starting out, I wish I had understood the importance of finding the right mentors, learning how to navigate the business side of my industry, and building a strong network of people who could guide me. Talent and passion are important, but understanding the business, knowing your numbers, learning how to market yourself, and knowing how to turn your skill into a sustainable business are just as important.
I also learned that you cannot wait for perfect conditions. I didn’t always have the money, resources, or opportunities I wanted, but I kept learning, working, and reinvesting in myself and my business.
Most importantly, believe in your ability, stay consistent, and be willing to learn from every experience. Start with what you have, keep improving your craft, and don’t be discouraged by how long the journey takes. What you build over time can become much bigger than what you imagined when you first started.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://farajcouture.com
- Instagram: modmara
- Other: https://modmara.com
