Occupation: Heads of the Trickponi showroom
Live in: Saudi Arabia
Why the name Trickponi?
Sara: Initially we were going to call our showroom Apple, but then we heard a song by the same name and thought it was catchy. So we went with it right away.
How do you position yourself differently from a conventional showroom?
Serene: Road sales. We lug around our stuff around the world, especially when we are participating in trade shows around the world. We also go straight to the consumer and like to create relationships that way, to maintain a personal touch.
What’s interesting about the designers’ collections you exhibit?
Sara: They are quite eclectic, ranging from jewellery to fashion. I’d like to think the items are funky, quirky and colourful. We only have 3 handpicked designers we showcase at the moment, and about 40 items in total.
When did you officially begin Trickponi?
Sara: In 2011 we decided and we were official in May 2012, but it moved really fast. It’s been an amazing journey and now here we are at the Coterie trade show in New York.
What sparked the idea?
Sara: I lived in New York for a long time and did my Master’s in design management, which bridges the worlds of fashion and business. My undergrad is in graphic design, but I was always interested in fashion. I had this idea of having certain brands in the US tap into the Middle Eastern market and alternatively provide Middle Eastern designers with exclusive access to the US market. Serene is a good friend from Saudi, where we both grew up so I was telling her about my idea one night and it just developed from there. I asked her to be my partner.
How did you choose your designers?
Sara: My friend Carol Pratt is a designer at Shosh and her organic clothing is really appealing (though we are not there yet in the Middle East.) It has a very intimate, feminine quality to the fabrics. We represent Shosh exclusively in the region. And Razan Al Azzouni is actually a Saudi designer who approached us.
Serene: We loved Razan’s take on embroidery and the dresses she has are both ultra-contemporary with just a hint of the tradition. And L’atelier Nawbar represents a family of jewelers who we have known for a long time in Beirut. We appreciate their work and would like to support it.
Any ideas about what your next line will be?
Serene: We are not restricted to apparel, so we are looking for a tech line next. It’s amazing what is happening in the Arab region, everything seems to be blossoming in the worlds of creativity and design.
What’s your typical day like?
Sara: A lot of Skype! Although I moved back to Riyadh, Serene is in Jeddah. It’s work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Things calm down a bit between the different seasons but there is always preparation and dealing with buyers, designers and orders constantly. It’s the appeal of a start-up but it certainly tests the patience of family and friends everyday.
Will you expand beyond your showrooms in Riyadh and Jeddah?
Serene: For now the road compensates for the lack of physical space and we want to gain more exposure through pop-up stores before locking down another physical location
What’s the best thing about your job?
Sara: It gives us a legitimate excuse to travel. And also, the people we meet along the way.
Serene: I used to work in healthcare consulting in Saudi Arabia and London. I enjoyed it, but this is much more interesting.
What are the most exciting developments you’ve had in the past year?
Serene: AHALife, the online boutique that curates international products from around the world reached out to us, looking to penetrate the Middle Eastern market by increasing their target audience. Their success in Japan has been phenomenal and hopefully we will help them in the region and they will soon have an online platform for us on their website, where we can sell products we select from the Middle East.
Any future plans?
Sara: We are hoping to participate in NY Fashion Week, Capsul and Pretty Little Things in Kuwait.
