As you can see from last month’s post about Seven Minutes, I am a huge fan of Dina and Lina. I requested an interview with the fabulous Seven Minutes designers and they agreed! I couldn’t be happier!

First of all, I’d like to thank you for accepting to this interview. I love your bags! How did you get started?

Dina: Thanks a bunch! They love you too! Well in New York, Lina started sewing clutch bags just for her to wear. Don’t ask us where she picked up the sewing, but we figured my grandmother might have something to do with it.

Lina: Yes I started picking it up and was doing it more of a personal thing because I would always find it hard to match a bag with what I was wearing. So I would sew one for myself. Then when we came back to Dubai, we had the idea of th Trigger bag with the gun. It then got back a lot of comments everytime we would go out, so it started to become a business idea as well as something we really enjoy doing. We wouldn’t design anything that we wouldn’t wear. Everything we do, we go out with.

Why did you choose the name Seven Minutes? Is there a special significance to the name? You’re twins so I am guessing you are seven minutes apart in age.

Dina:Yes, we are seven minutes apart, I am older though.

Lina: She always has to say that.. hehe

How does it feel to be designing with your twin? Do you have defined roles as the Creative person and the Business person or do you share job responsibilities?

Lina: It is great hamdilla to work with Dina because we were separated all through our education so that we can develop individual styles. So we both have a different way of approaching things and working and we both critique each other, which is always good.

Dina: It is always a good thing to work with someone I can trust as a person and as a designer to make choices, and I can relate to. We make great partners because we both have our hearts in this and are loving and enjoying it, and of course if we do fight, we hug and its all back to normal again.

Can you tell me more about the creative process in how you come up with your bag designs?

Dina: We never sit and brainstorm, i always carry a sketchbook and black pen wherever I go which is more valuable to me than anything else. When we are out or in the middle of somthing and we get ideas, we start shooting them out and noting them down. We have no worries trashing each others ideas too. Some work, some don’t.

Lina: Our ideas always come in the most random moments sometimes, we just sketch them. We then get back to them and see how we can take them further and what materials we can use and sizes and etc.

What materials do you use in creating your bags? Do you have a preference?

Lina: We use a lot of different materials, leather, canvas, linen, the Palesinian flag, beads, sequins, embroidery and a lot more. Our car is full of every kind of bead, materials, colors and everything we want to work with and experiment with.

Dina: Our preference is to use any material we think is suitable for the idea we originally had in our heads to begin with. We sometimes try it out and see if its what we like and with trial and error now, we are keeping in mind which material works for what.

How often do you design bag collections?

Dina: We are constantly designing, its making them that takes a little longer because it is all hand made and some are exlusive pieces.

Lina: We have new collections every 2 months to start off with around 12 - 14 bags each time.

What are your most popular items?

Lina: Trigger clutch, Yaffa clutch, Zaman clutch, Woodpecker and Camouflage bag are the most popular.

What are your price ranges?

Dina: Everything depends on how much time was put into it, work and materials bought for it as well. Prices range from about $50 USD - $200 USD

I see from your group that you design passport covers and belts, are there any other paths you hope to branch into?

Lina: At one point, we would love to do jewelery. It has always been an interest of ours.

Dina: Mens and women graphic shirts with my illustrations.

Which do you enjoy more, designing bags or clutches?

Lina: Both.

Dina: It is all about the idea in the end, so definitely both.

What is the most memorable experience you’ve had since starting your Facebook group? Did you encounter any funny stories with customers?

Lina: Everytime we check Facebook, we get new members which is always great to see people we don’t know commenting as well as the people we know.

Dina: We love the fact that everyone can see what we have been designing and doing.

What advice would you give aspiring designers?

Dina: Just do what you have in mind. You won’t know if it takes off or not unless you try it for yourself. You will love doing something you can call your own too.

Lina: Just get started, that’s the hardest part.

And there you have it, you too can become a designer if you follow your passion and your dream. Thank you Dina and Lina for this interview. I wish you all the success in the world and can’t wait to see the launch of the Seven Minutes website!