She may only be 23 years old but if the hype is to be believed, Madiyah Al Sharqi may be one of the brightest fashion stars to come out of the region, let alone the Gulf, in quite some time. With only three collections to her name (four, if you include the spring/summer 2014 collection for which she’s shooting the look book as we speak), the Dubai-based designer is breaking the mould with her minimalist, ready-to-wear aesthetic.
Steering away from the usual Middle Eastern formula of couture gowns and über-embellished cocktail dresses, Al Sharqi’s sleek signature style has struck a cord with the hordes of stylish women who are largely responsible for the region’s love of designer fashion.
“The Arab woman has changed so much over the past decade,” explains the pretty and petite designer. “We’re so international and travel a lot, so I wanted to make clothes that reflected me as a young Arab woman. We don’t have a great need for cocktail dresses or ball gowns. We’re working and seeing the world.”
While her three collections have helped her build acclaim, her debut was a very different affair. You see, Al Sharqi is a princess. Literally. The daughter of the Emir of Fujairah, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, the epitome of the silver spoon existence, the announcement that she planned on becoming a designer led to a great deal of eye-rolling. At least at first.
“I did experience a lot of cynicism initially because people assumed that because of my family and where I come from, I was just doing this because I was bored, that I had nothing better to do and had money,” she explains. “But that kind of reception only served to motivate me. It still does. I put my head down and work hard and produce the best clothes that I can. Fashion is in my blood and it’s something that I take very seriously. I’ve loved clothes and everything related to fashion ever since I was a young girl.”
Al Sharqi grew up in a house where instead of heading for the mall, her mother would design and have her own clothes made. As a child, she was taken to tailors and couturiers and was inspired by her mother’s creativity. “I’d copy her and make little outfits for my Barbie,” she continues. “I didn’t really have any regional designers that inspired me, it was my mother. She’s still my main source of inspiration.”
After high school, Al Sharqi initially enrolled for a degree in International Studies at Zayed University before quickly realising that this was not her dream. Leaving, she enrolled at the Dubai outpost of the prestigious French fashion school, ESMOD and followed this up by interning with well-known Lebanese designer, Abed Mahfouz. Last year, she launched her own line.
“It was really important for me to learn everything about producing a fashion line,” she continues. “I see myself as a business woman, so I wanted to make sure that I knew everything from pattern cutting to marketing, production lines, the lot. I wasn’t just interested in knowing how to make pretty clothes.”
Currently, her tailors are mostly based in Dubai’s Deira but the designer is struggling with producing her collection entirely in the Gulf purely because of its primitive-by-comparison fabric industry. “I use a lot of leather and fur in my collections and although I’ve tried, you just can’t get good quality fabrics from this part of the world just yet,” she explains. “So I tend to head to the textile fairs in Paris and Milan but when the region starts producing better fabrics and catches up with the rest of the world, I’d love to support the regional industry, for my collection to be 100 per cent from the UAE. At the moment though, I refuse to compromise on quality.”
Her collections are awash with impeccably executed separates in a mix of contrasting textures – commonly, leather with lace or wool with tulle – and an attention to detail that will be key should Al Sharqi turn her attention beyond the region. “Of course, I’ve got ambitions to be an international designer and be stocked in London and Paris. That would be a dream come true. But I want to focus on getting everything right here first before I try and approach international stockists,” she explains. “I’m still learning about production lines and what it takes to be able to meet the demands of my clients and I want to perfect this before attempting to expand my brand.”
This September, the designer produced her first runway show and became the headline name at Dubai’s three-day Fashion Forward, a fast-growing platform for Gulf-based talent. Al Sharqi says it has been the highlight of her career so far. “I still remember getting a call from Symphony (a Dubai boutique) last year when they said they wanted to stock my collection. It was the most amazing feeling and I just couldn’t believe it!” she says laughing, as our interview comes to an end. “It feels like a dream. I’m so happy to be doing what I love. I wonder if it’ll ever feel real.”
WHO Madiyah Al Sharqi
WHAT Fashion designer
WHERE The Closet (Doha), Symphony (Dubai), S Style (Kuwait) and Maison BO-M (Riyadh)
WHY Determined, original and spot-on with her approach, Al Sharqi’s future seems set for success.
