You are standing by the baggage claim after a long trip. You’re tired, and all the suitcases going around the belt seem to look the same to you. You find yourself wishing that there was some way you could distinguish your baggage from the rest. Now, let’s go a bit further, imagine your suitcase cover changed to suit the country you are travelling to. Now stop with the wondering, and get back to reality – the ‘Limited N’ bag reality that is. The designer behind the ‘Limited N’ collection, Nadine Qaddoura, dresses herself according to what, in her mind, suits her character – from head to toe and down to details. Her energy is contagious, as her natural eye for all things beautiful is envious.
Her line of bags, ‘Limited N’, was launched not too long ago. She sources the inspiration for her creations, back to her mother’s “hobby of buying luggage.”
However, her early life had been as far from design as can be. After achieving a Bachelors Degree in Hospital Management from the American University of Beirut, she went into her family business – a healthcare empire in the United Arab Emirates. Throughout that period, she says that she never ignored her inner passion for design. On her many work-related trips, she decided that there was an apparent “lack of trendy, upscale luggage.” Realizing this, she was inspired to create her exclusive ‘Limited N’ collection of leather luggage and travel items.
Initially, Nadine decided to design and execute a set of fashionable luggage for her mother as a Mother’s Day gift. Soon enough, “well-to-do lady friends and acquaintances” set their sites on obtaining her bags, and the result: the requests for similar luggage started pouring in. Nadine found herself in the baggage-designing limelight, pushed into developing the first ‘Limited N’ luxury luggage, supported by the right team and know-how.
It’s a unique concept as Nadine explains. Quiet simply stated ‘Limited N’ is a “limited number of unique luggage pieces” produced to reflect something much more stylish and trendy than the existing market offerings. The items are bursting with colour and character, yet on the cutting edge of elegance and practicality. They have been carefully handmade using exceptional genuine leather that features exotic prints and vibrant shades, rendering them highly original – if not distinguished – among others of the same calibre.
To add to their uniqueness, Nadine has researched colours and leather prints that reflect specific countries, thus creating not only the feature of luggage distinction, but also the very essence of relating luggage to the country of destination, and also to character. Some examples would be relating Valencia to the Havan crocodile genuine leather print, Florence to the lilac crocodile genuine leather print, California to the orange and Saint Tropez to the blue Togo genuine leather prints, in addition to many others.
Furthermore, Nadine did not disregard practicality in the midst of her design fiesta. In fact, the luggage is very well organised and has labelled pockets, each bag created for a specialized purpose. The ‘Limited N’ collection includes luxurious items that vary from regular wardrobe bags to jewellery bags, shoe bags, make-up kits, wallets, passport and currency holders, as well as beach bags. They also come with special protective plastic coats to protect the genuine leather from the wear and tear of travel.
Now, behind the scenes of the baggage fiesta, is a team of around thirty dedicated professionals who are equally intrigued and excited about ‘Limited N’ positioning itself in record time amongst the most established brands today. Her collection had an immediate appeal to the “crème de la crème of society.” The pieces were first launched at Harvey Nichols in Dubai. Today, they can be found in exclusive stores in Kuwait with a ‘Limited N’ store due to open soon at the 360 Degrees Mall. Harrods in London will shortly showcase the distinct luggage. Beyond this, they will soon be launched not only in other major stores and cities across the Gulf, but also in the hottest spots in Europe and the United States.
So what does the future of luggage look like from the eyes of the trend-setting designer? According to Nadine, she sets her utmost aim in having her brand “reflected in an enterprise that designs and creates unique, refreshing and incredibly stylish luggage with character and a difference, aimed for people who appreciate luxury, fun and glamour.” She has full faith that the enterprise is expanding exponentially and promises upcoming surprises very soon.
www.limitedn.com
