Felice Emanuels, the young Dutch-Albanian Industrial Design Engineer - Albania
Felice Emanuels, the young Dutch-Albanian Industrial Design Engineer
Today, we want to shine a spotlight on Felice Emanuels, a young Dutch-Albanian industrial design engineer. She is the co-founder and creative director of Dren Abazi Brand, a fashion label influenced by music, identity, and craftsmanship.
With an Albanian mother and a Dutch father, Felice has grown up in a globally minded environment shaped by her international education from an early age.
Felice has a bachelor's degree in industrial design engineering from The Hague University of Applied Sciences and is pursuing a master's in Entrepreneurship at the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit. Her education emphasized creating experiences, which has significantly shaped her brand's identity.
She acknowledges that the foundation for her brand would not have existed without the contributions of her parents, who have been building their business for over 32 years. Felice was fortunate to have access to their production infrastructure, which she utilized to create something of her own.
"Using what was available to me, I developed a brand with its own identity and spirit, rooted in a different kind of fashion model: made-to-order, sustainably focused, and context-driven," says Felice.
Her approach blends sustainable thinking with a forward-looking mindset, focusing on progress over perfection and striving to create an experience, not just a product.
In a short period, her brand garnered international attention, with features appearing in GQ UK just six months after its launch, followed by coverage in British Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, and Forbes 30 Under 30.
Felice’s advice to the younger generation is to avoid waiting for everything to be perfect; instead, she encourages them to start. "There is no such thing as perfect timing. Start with what you have, and let the journey guide you forward."
Cheers to Felice Emanuels.