Sisters meld fashion with tradition

From their humble beginnings designing T-shirts, two women have turned Arabic headwear into a thriving business.

Rima, left, and Dina Zahran, creators of the Dinz fashion label, model some of their designs at the Ounass boutique in Dubai.

DUBAI // It is a traditional Arab headdress designed to provide protection from the sun and sand, but the ghutra is now being seen draped around the necks of celebrities such as Kirsten Dunst and Kanye West. Part of that could be thanks to the vision of two Dubai-based sisters. "I really believe that it is our ghutras that made our label explode in the market," said Rima Zahran, 24, who co-founded the fashion label DinZ with Dina, 20, nearly two years ago.

The garment, which has captured the attention of fashionable young people across the world, has also attracted controversy, namely when a recent Dunkin Donuts internet advert featured the popular American TV chef Rachael Ray in a black and white paisley scarf that closely resembled the kaffiyah, the Palestinian equivalent of the ghutra. The advert caused an uproar, and was pulled days later after much lobbying from right-wing bloggers, who claimed the American food chain was supporting "terrorist wear".

The confusion over the significance of the garment even led Queen Rania of Jordan to comment on the issue on her official YouTube video log last month. She wore a red and white kaffiyah around her shoulders to tackle the subject of stereotypes and used her Arab headdress as an example. "This is not a symbol of extremist behaviour," she said in her two-minute video, part of a series that has been watched by more than two million users since its launch.

However, the idea for DinZ was not inspired by the ghutra. Dina, who graduated from the American University of Dubai in June with a degree in business management, started designing T-shirts while still studying. "I started making T-shirts for myself ? painting them, putting stones on them, adding simple embroidery," she said. "It was all handmade." The trendsetting sister's casual-chic style attracted much interest from her friends, so Dina made extra T-shirts as gifts until she could no longer juggle her studies and clothes-making.

The sisters had concerns about mass-producing the clothes as it would mean they could not be involved with every part of the process. However, although Dina no longer makes the T-shirts in her bedroom, the sisters are still very much hands-on. "We wanted every piece of clothing to be special," said Rima. "Every piece has been fixed up, chosen, and finalised by at least six different people, including one of us."

They say they did not envisage this level of success, despite fashion being such an important part of their lives. "In the beginning, we wanted to give up," said Rima. "You keep thinking: this is not going to work. There are thousands of designers out there, and they're not making it, so what makes you special?" As eloquent and sharp as they are fashionable, the sisters say it was not just the handmade aspect of their clothing that made them successful. What was "special", they say, is that their clothes are Arab-inspired.

Many of the T-shirts, for example, feature the Hand of Fatima, which contains the eye motif, believed to ward off the evil eye by its wearers. "I think people are attracted to the idea of wearing something very Arab, yet still unique and funky," said Dina. "We do not have to be Italian designers to become part of the fashion world." The DinZ ghutra collection was launched in January and, despite its success, some people were opposed at first to revolutionising a garment that was once exclusively worn as a headdress by Arab men.

DinZ's ghutra designs are a myriad of colours. From orange to pink and rainbow designs, embellished with patchwork such as butterflies, smiley faces and strawberries, the traditional ghutras have come a long way from being a purely functional piece of clothing. "It is a little bit daring that it was originally something you wore on your head, and now you're making it feminine and wearing it on your neck," said Rima. "But I don't see what's wrong with making something we're proud of so popular."

The colourful ghutras ? which cost Dh300 (US$81.6) ? have developed a cult-like following among Arab women in the Gulf, who have grown more and more fashion-conscious in recent years. Outlets that market and sell DinZ garments, such as the British department store Harvey Nichols and Ounass boutiques, regularly sell out of the clothes. Rima credits part of the success to their location. Dubai has become a city known for its extravagance and glamour, and European tourists, a large percentage of the visitors, have helped to promote the products in the West.

The Zahrans are selling their ghutras at Spoiled Brat, a celebrity store in Glasgow, UK, as well as boutiques in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Spain. They are also in talks with an American celebrity store in Los Angeles. "Our clothing is like the story of our generation," said Dina, whose western influence comes from living in Spain with her family for the first decade of her life. "We're Arab but, at the same time, we have a certain western influence to us."

Dina and Rima's parents decided to move to Dubai because they wanted their daughters to become better acquainted with the Arab language and culture. "They wanted us to become more familiar and proud of our roots," said Rima. This move looks to have paid dividends as the Zahrans make the most of their understanding of both cultures to create the must-have clothes of the moment. @Email:[e-mail]