Welcome to the elegant atelier

SUNAINA RANA / Emirates Business

As Fashion industry is evolving in the region, the spectrum of gorgeous has been witnessed reaching another level. The brand Nabrman, which was established in 2008, has already emerged as one of the most desired Abaya brands in the region, with an ever increasing following of trendy and stylish women.
Nabrman is largely influenced by a contemporary mix of old world charm and elegant sophistication, and the brand essence are clearly reflected in the gracefully flowing, exquisite designs of the Abayas. At Nabrman, traditional Abayas, which are inspired by the Arabic culture, are given a modern twist with a variety of fine fabrics and a kaleidoscope of colours. Emirates Business talks to Hend AlMutawa, founder of Nabrman, about the brand’s unique approach to fashion and the mix between vintage and modern designs to present Abayas in fully on-trend fashion.

Emirates offers one of the largest beauty markets in the world, while on the other hand the fashion industry is also not far behind. What is your take on the fashion industry in the UAE?
The fashion industry in the UAE has developed quite rapidly in the recent past. I expect the growth of the industry to flourish even more rapidly in the years to come because of initiatives such as the Dubai Design District and the changing attitudes towards traditional wear. As more people begin to realize the potential in designing traditional wear, this opens up the market both in terms of choice for the customers, and challenges/opportunities for the designers which then has a net positive effect on both the retail as well as the cosmetic market in the UAE and the Middle East. I expect Dubai to be the hub of fashionable yet traditional wear in the very near future and eventually a globally renowned fashion destination.

How has your journey been so far? When did you first realise that you wanted to pursue a career in
fashion?
My journey has been great; it has contained challenges and many learning opportunities. I have learnt quite a lot about the fashion industry, the UAE fashion and retail markets, customers and their buying habits, and also about myself. It has simply been a fabulous journey so far and I look forward to its continuation. The fashion industry in the UAE benefits from the fashion consciousness of its people who are usually up to date on fashionable trends and ever willing to try creative designs.
I realized I wanted to pursue a career in the fashion industry in the final year of university, when I was studying for a Bachelor’s in Finance. My degree has helped me greatly in understanding the nature of the business better. Soon after I graduated I started Nabrman as a home business. After rapid growth, I was able to open the Nabrman Boutique on Jumeirah Beach Road in 2009.

What are the changes you have witnessed in the fashion industry over the past five years?
I started off as a home business with a local designer in the beginning of 2009. The business had a lot of bumps on the way to success since the market in the Abaya industry is very competitive. In thinking of a way to make the business stand out from the crowd, I analyzed the current market and the competition, risks, and opportunities prevalent and devised strategies which has led to Nabrman’s success.
Now, in the UAE, the most prolific change has been the implementation of international trends in design collections every season. This is a good sign as we are signaling to the global fashion industry are capabilities of incorporating global trends into our traditional wear and local designs. I have taken part in the drastic changes over the years in the way Abayas look.
What is the inspiration behind your clothing line?
The Nabrman brand mainly draws inspiration from a desire to combine the traditional and modern into a singular, dazzling design that is seen both from a traditional and modern point of view. Sometimes, this is quite a challenge. To this extent, the designs are usually inspired from many topics and created based on a concept flowers, geometric shapes, various types of materials and different colors are incorporated to conceptualize collections true to Nabrman’s inspiration.

How would you define your work?
In general, the designs are elegant, high-end, creative and practical traditional wear for the fashion conscious woman in the UAE and the Middle East.

How do you manage to blend
tradition so beautifully with the twist of contemporary designs which also gives you an edge over the other designers in the market?
After the process of sketching and testing what materials would be best used for each design, we start the trial phase in which we create the designs in the sketches, check how they look in real life and how good each design is on a lady.
Each of the designs has to serve its purpose, for example: a daily-wear Abaya will be very different to a wedding Abaya which can be transparent, shimmery, or even have more eye-catching hand embroidery than a daily-wear Abaya. Most importantly, we also ensure the design of the Abaya is respectful to Islam and the local and regional cultures, and add to it a touch of glamour through continuous research and awareness of national, regional, as well as international trends in the fashion industry.

Is there any new collection that you are working on?
We recently launched the Eid Collection which is in store now. The Eid Collection uses a combination of soothing whites and blues, and a ‘pop’ of color which symbolises summer. We are currently working on a new collection that we would announce soon.

What would be your advice to the new aspiring fashion designers?
Never give up and always be prepared to review and renew your designs. Look at things from a different angle when the current way is not working very well. Try to develop not only your designs but yourself as well by doing something you’ve never done before such as sketching shoes (if you’re always just designing dresses) or even thinking of a concept from wildlife. Doing such activities would open your mind to various other designs that will develop new ways of thinking.