Roots and Early Career
I am Hanen Hidri Chamekh, founder of the Elghanja Haute Couture house, which I created in 2006. But, deep down, my history with creation began long before the birth of the house. Since I was a little girl, I have always had this desire to imagine, to anticipate, to create differently. I never really liked following a path already laid out. I have always preferred to seek my own.
My Tunisian roots, our history, and the greatness of the Carthaginian heritage naturally nourish my imagination. They inspire me with their richness, their character, and their depth. But I never wanted to simply reproduce our heritage. I wanted to draw inspiration from it to build something personal, an identity that resembles me.
This is how the Elghanja touch was born. Over the years, it has asserted itself, become more precise, and established itself as a true creative universe. Today, what touches me the most are those clients and people who tell me they recognize my creations even before reading the name of the house, simply by scrolling through a post. For me, it is an immense satisfaction. It means that, beyond a garment, I have managed to create a signature.
I deeply believe that a couture house must have a soul. Elghanja is not just a brand or a name. It is a vision, a sensitivity, and a way of seeing fashion. That is what I try to convey in every creation, right down to the details that you don't always notice at first glance, but which make all the difference.
Success in Tunisia and Internationally
Building a fashion house and giving it a strong identity requires years of work, patience, and conviction. The greatest challenge has not only been making Elghanja known beyond borders but preserving its identity while letting it evolve.
If there is a challenge I rarely speak of without emotion, it is that of imitation. Over the years, I have seen brands take ideas, models, fabric combinations, and details that belong to my universe, sometimes with such a resemblance that the line between inspiration and copying becomes difficult to ignore. I have also noticed the name Elghanja being used by others, both in the fashion sector and in other fields.
I don't say this to complain, nor to waste my energy on those who copy me. With time, I have learned to take a step back. But I think it is important to remember that a creation represents hours of reflection, research, and work. Behind a model, there is a story, an intention, and a vision that are not built in a day.
As I often say: "Steal my ideas, I will come up with others." This is not a way to trivialize plagiarism, but a way to remind people that my strength does not lie in a single creation. It lies in my ability to imagine, to renew myself, and to always stay one step ahead.
In my humble opinion, this is where the essential difference lies between reproducing what exists and being a true fashion creator. Since childhood, I have always been avant-garde. I create trends; I don't follow them.
You can reproduce a model, imitate an idea, or copy an appearance, but authenticity is not limited to that. It carries a history, a sensitivity, and years of creation. Thank God, my clientele knows how to recognize the difference between the original and the imitation. It is this trust that gives me the strength to keep moving forward, to create, and to reinvent myself.
The Modern Woman and My Philosophy
The Elghanja woman is not defined by a single silhouette, a single origin, or a single way of being elegant. She is a woman who embraces her personality, who knows what she wants, and who does not need to look like anyone else to shine.
When I design, I think about what the outfit will bring to her, how she will feel wearing it, and what she will express without needing to speak. I want her to feel beautiful, of course, but also confident, unique, and true to herself.
I have never considered fashion as a simple matter of trends. A trend passes, while a true identity remains. That is why I value the personality of my creations so much. I want them to have character, to be recognizable, and to not be reduced to a fleeting fad.
The Elghanja touch draws from various inspirations, notably the Carthaginian heritage, Tunisian roots, and their cultural richness, but it is not limited to any one reference. It has become, over time, a style in its own right, a signature recognizable among thousands.
For me, empowering a woman through fashion does not mean telling her how she should be. It means giving her the opportunity to express who she already is. Every woman has her own story, and I would like my creations to allow her to wear it with pride.
The Italian Experience and International Journey
My participation in the Mediterranean Fashion Week in Italy, specifically in Lecce and Taranto in September 2025, was an enriching experience among the various encounters that have marked my journey. There, I presented my work in an international context, in contact with other creative universes and sensibilities.
Over the years, I have had the honor of being invited to various international events, including New York, Italy, Venice, Barcelona, London, Geneva, Dubai, Beirut, and Berlin, as well as other destinations, to present my universe and, on several occasions, to represent my country as a guest of honor. These experiences have allowed me to meet different audiences, share my vision, and introduce the Elghanja signature beyond borders.
I welcome each invitation with gratitude, but also with the sense of responsibility it entails. When I present Elghanja abroad, I do not just come to show clothes. I come to share a vision, defend an identity, and showcase the work of a house that I have built with passion since 2006.
What matters to me is not just the runway or the applause. It is the encounter between my universe and the eyes of the people discovering it. It is seeing my creations speak to someone from another culture while retaining what makes them unique.
Every destination brings its own experience, exchanges, and memories. Italy is part of that, just like the other countries where I have had the opportunity to present my work. I do not consider these experiences as a final goal, but as opportunities to continue my path, to learn, and to let Elghanja evolve.
Deep down, I remain attached to the same conviction: I do not need to become someone else to exist internationally. I want it to be Elghanja—with its history, its personality, and its signature—that is recognized.
Future Projects
I look to the future with the same curiosity and desire to create that have driven me since my beginnings. I do not want to simply multiply collections or keep up with the pace of the industry. I want to continue building a coherent, living universe capable of renewing itself without losing its identity.
My perfectionism is both one of my greatest qualities and one of my challenges. In haute couture, you have to know how to spot a detail others might not see, start over when a result does not match your vision, and never consider a job finished just because it is "beautiful enough." But this demand can also become exhausting. Sometimes we spend a lot of time on a single detail because we know exactly what we want to achieve.
Over the years, I am learning to turn this standard into a strength, without forgetting that creation must also remain a pleasure, a freedom, and a source of emotion.
I wish to continue international encounters, explore new inspirations, and further develop the Elghanja universe. I want the house to keep growing, not by becoming a copy of what works elsewhere, but by remaining true to its own vision.
I also want the name Elghanja to remain associated with what matters most to me: originality, work well done, attention to detail, and that signature my clientele recognizes at first glance.
If I had to summarize my journey, I would say I never sought to please everyone or to look like someone else. I simply wanted to create something that resembles me, with my convictions, my standards, my mistakes, and my successes.
I know you can reproduce a model, imitate an idea, or use a name. But you cannot copy years of experience, intuition, sensitivity, and a lived history.
Elghanja is more than a creation. It is an identity that time has shaped and that every new collection continues to bring to life. And as long as I have ideas, dreams, and the desire to create, I will keep moving forward. Because my greatest pride is not just what I have already accomplished, but everything I still have left to imagine.
