The Gulf abaya has gone international, with prominent fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana unveiling their own collections, created especially for the Middle East.
Though we’re yet to see the success of the collection, the pieces seem to be appealing. The designers have made an effort to revisit local tastes, and at the same time add an Italian touch to the collection, which includes daisies, red roses and lemons. Having global brands designing abaya will help normalise it in the western mind, in the same way as the traditional Japanese kimono and the Indian sari.
But what will this do to the garment itself, which has already been affected by commercialisation that has driven prices to as high as Dh10,000 for one piece? The abaya is, after all, a staple of Gulf attire. And there is a wider point, that by introducing a new fancy collection, the designers are helping to further divert the abaya from its original purpose, which is modesty. A complicated collection, for sure.