Robin Shumays, was born in Brooklyn, NY to a mother who taught her from an early age to be “crafty”. By the age of 4 she could crochet just about anything for her dolls, and by the age of 7 she could knit with the best of them. Around age 9 her mom bought a sewing machine and mother and daughter self taught themselves to make clothes. Soon enough Robin was sewing her own skirts and doll clothes. By early adulthood however, she lost interest in her crafty side, and began pursuing a career in the music industry. She was lucky enough to work for labels such as Sony, Geffen, and Prince’s Paisley Park among others.
After a few years she gave up on the music industry in pursuit of creating art. She developed an interest in Graphic and Web Design and went back to school (Parsons) to change careers. Around the same time she began studying and performing Middle Eastern Dance at Serena Studios in New York City and later Bollywood dance with Seema Iyer. Learning Middle Eastern and Indian Dance forms had a profound impact on Robin. She became heavily influenced by the cultures and colors surrounding them. She rediscovered her interest in sewing and started making her own costumes and doing alterations on purchased ones.
Discovering that she was limited in her knowledge of sewing, she eventually sought out a teacher to take private lessons. In 2008 she began studying with Sumie Tachibana. Sumie quickly became a mentor and encouraged Robin to take what she knew to the next level and beyond. In early 2009, Sumie produced a fashion show in which her students were allowed to present their pieces. Robin created a gorgeous Indian influenced (complete with vintage sari remnants) tangerine dupioni silk gown. The dress was well received and even got a nod on the blogs “style defined” and “liqcity”. It was then that Robin decided she had discovered her true calling. In the spring of 2009 she left her full time position as a web developer at Random House to become a full time fashion designer.
Since that time Robin has worked extremely hard at further developing and refining her skills and her true voice as a designer. Her line, hennaflower, pushes the boundaries of ethno and sustainable fashion; utilizing high quality silks, vintage saris and kimono remnants, among other vintage textiles, in a design aesthetic that is at once playful and vibrant, while giving a nod to 50’s party dress style.
Why hennaflower?
In 2005 while honeymooning in Cairo, Robin and her husband purchased a 1957 film entitled “Tamr Henna”. Tamr Henna translates from Arabic to “Henna Flower”. Motivated by the great music and dancing in the film, they formed the Arabic music and dance ensemble ‘Zikrayat’.
The name hennaflower embodies all the line is; eastern, delicate, and fun.