It seems like an unlikely mix: Marie Antoinette and the 1970s. And yet, for her latest collection, Sheikha Madiyah Al Sharqi drew on these two seemingly incongruous elements for inspiration, combining the off-the-shoulder and billowing sleeves of the 1970s with the pastel colours typical of 18th-century France. Interestingly enough, it works.
While drawing inspiration from such distinct eras may seem odd, it is characteristic of Sheikha Madiyah’s approach. “I use Marie Antoinette as a constant muse,” she admits. “And every season try to place her into different eras.”
The collection is now available through Moda Operandi, making Sheikha Madiyah the first Emirati designer to be stocked by the online store. Daughter of Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, Sheikha Madiyah says her collections are shaped both by her time spent at the French fashion institute Esmod and her time growing up in the UAE. “The industry here in the UAE wasn’t developed when I was growing up,” she says of her early career. “So I think the lack of restrictions made entering the industry a smoother process.”
Sheikha Madiyah describes her own personal style as “a mixture between uber feminine and minimalism” and admits that this has significantly influenced her previous collections. “Feminine fabrics and colours combined with minimalistic silhouettes is how many would describe my brand,” she says. Unsurprising, perhaps, since one of Sheikha Madiyah’s own favourite designers is Phoebe Philo, the creative director of Céline, who has feminine minimalism down to a tee.
alane@thenational.ae
