Katalin Schafer

Schafer Designs

Belly Dancing is a beautiful art form that has a rich cultural history even as with movements and rhythms reap as we saw in costume fashion. If I am going to be honest with myself, my interest for belly dance started not just because of the movements and music, but because of those beautiful, feminine and exciting costumes. Upon my dad's request, even though I just wanted to dance, I finished my studies as a Costume Designer at the Hungarian Technical College.

For the first few yeas I created my own costumes just for my dance company and for myself. In 2009 I was awarded the “Bellydance Costume Designer of the Year”. This was in Hungary and one of the participant of the jury was for example Sahar Okasha the famous Egyptian designer to. After much interest in my costumes I made my own brand in 2010, name SCH-Fashion.

As a dancer and designer my ideas come to my mind in motion and sometimes with music. I always imagine the feeling in the costume on the move. I like to feel the freedom and nature. That is why I prefer to use pure silks which has the moves of nature. My first collection was made only from pure silk that I bought in Kuwait and decorated just with Swarovsky crystals. The skirts are sewed together on short skin colored trousers, it prevents the sliding of the skirt on the move.

My first bellydance costume vendor stand was at the Nile Group Festival in November 2010. On the 2nd day of the festival I had already sold all my costumes. I got so much nice soulful feedback about my ideas and so many orders, more than I couldn't ever imagine before. From that moment, my design career became the same priority in my life as my dancing and teaching.

Just like my movements, my costumes are filled with spirit. One dream, one inspiration gives only one costume. I never make copies!I believe that every costume finds her real owner and they will inspiring each other. As this colorful dance style is still living and changing, growing up day by day, the costume designers will inspire forever. This is a never ending energy flow, full with elegance and ferocity, sensuality and femininity. I hope that I will be a part of this wonderful Oriental dance life for a long time.

Katalin Schäfer has been dancing for more than 20 years now and she started her path with classical ballet in 1988 from Endre Jeszenszky in his Hungarian Ballet Institute.
2000: She started to specialize herself on Oriental dance.
2004: She became a member of the very succesful company called, „Art of Orient” (other members: Shaba, Amira, Mercedes Nieto). They won many awards world-wide. After this she is working hard to achieve more and more in oriental dance and as a designer:
2005: She won the 2nd place at Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo and the „Art of Orient” Group awarded the best group prize.
2006: She established the EFFENDI Arabic Folklore Theatre Company.
2007: They annound their first play called the „Golden Scarf” which is an Arabian folklore play which narrates the story of a classical Arabic wedding ceremony from the proposal of marriage to the ceremony itself, decorated by Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Saud Arabian, Alexandrian and Nubian dances choreographed and taught by herself.
2009: She became the bellydance costume designer of the year.------
2010: She founded her own costume label, SCH-Fashion which is becoming more and more famous world-wide.
She have started to teach internationally also in different festivals.
2012: She is the art director and organizer of Orient Dance Universe Festival & Competition (Turkey).

Web site:www.schaferkatalin.com

Articles on Gilded Serpent by Katalin Schafer

10-18-11 Belly Dance Costuming Evolves, Photos and Commentary from a Rising Star of Costume Design by Katalin Schafer
Video interview with author. "Because our colorful dance form is still living, changing, and evolving day-by-day, the costume designers will inspire us endlessly. This movement is a never-ending energy flow full of elegance and ferocity, sensuality and femininity. I hope that I will be a part of this wonderful Oriental dance life for a long time."
4-7-12 The Festivals That Could Have Been, From the Point of View of an Organizer by Katalin Schafer
Finally, I started again, alone. I sold my car and my apartment, and I booked the five star Beach Resort with that money, including supplies, the gala room, training rooms, and a whole floor for the exhibitors.