Fashion notes: Emirati fashion brands thriving

Madiyah Al Sharqi’s upcoming autumn/winter 2016 collection. Courtesy of Madiyah Al Sharqi

You may shy away from Emirati brands, assuming that the prices will be high or the designs too traditional for your liking.

The latter, at least, is a common misconception. But the momentum of emerging talent in the region is increasingly gaining attention and breaking stereotypes. The abaya, for one, has been given a fashion-forward facelift. Black is no longer the sole shade, with all sorts of colours now on offer. As for the costly price tags, they’re often justified. Creating clothing locally can be quite expensive, from material costs to tailoring charges, and if there are any handcrafted elements involved, such as embroidery, the production costs are even higher.

Contemporary cut-outs, embroidery and intricate weaving techniques make designer abayas stand out from traditional versions. Local designers, however, don’t limit themselves to making abayas.

Fujairah’s Sheikha Madiyah Al Sharqi, for one, has consistently unveiled ready-to-wear collections that impress buyers around the world. In 2014, her Paris Fashion Week showroom was even visited by Kris and Kim Kardashian. Last year, she launched at Fivestory New York with numerous fashion icons in attendance.

Then there’s S*uce co-­founder Zayan Ghandour, whose namesake brand, Zayan the Label, is anything but ­conventional. Abu ­Dhabi-born-and-bred visual artist Shamsa Al ­Omaira is the designer behind fine-jewellery label The O Jewellery, while Dubai-based ­Emirati fashion blogger Nadya Hasan launched her own shoe line last year. Alongside her seasonal ready-to-wear line, Huda Al Nuaimi has just launched a range of customisable badges and pins, hand-beaded at her atelier in Dubai.

Having a part-time clothing line may make me biased, but there’s a real charm that comes with supporting home-grown brands that’s unattainable from shopping from run-of-the-mill high-street stores.