DUBAI: This Ramadan, Huda Al-Nuaimi, the designer behind the eponymous Emirati contemporary label, has launched a holiday/Ramadan edit, and “summer” is clearly the theme of the day.
Featuring a complimentary color palette of fire engine red, seafoam white and cobalt blue — not to mention the stunning backdrop of the sea in the collection’s look book photographs — the Holiday Collection is all about how rising summer temperatures call “for print and texture to warm up your wardrobe.”
The label notes that the capsule collection focuses on “paisley prints in playful shapes, with bell or flounce sleeves (and) Chikan embroidery (a traditional embroidery style from Lucknow, India) with accentuated shoulders and button details.”
The dresses and abayas are gorgeous. We’re huge fans of the nautical striped dress, which the designer advises to wear with trainers during the day or heels in the evening. We’re also loving the hand-beaded, striped linen abaya-overcoat style outfit, complete with 1990s rendition earrings.
As with any of her collections, women should not be afraid to accessorize.
“I truly believe accessories make an outfit,” Al-Nuaimi — who studied at the London College of Fashion — told Emirates Woman magazine. “It is the piece that takes a look from simple to fun, from day to evening, or from casual to polished. It’s key to get the right balance and know how and when to accessorize.”
Almost every piece in the collection works as a wardrobe staple and can be re-worn again and again, so whatever you decide to invest in will probably come in handy for the rest of the summer season. The blue-and-white printed kaftan and drop shoulder red-and white dress are both particularly handy, even beyond Ramadan. Both flowy, loose dresses are slightly fitted at the waist, boast V-shaped necklines and feature hemlines that end just above the ankle, making them perfect for summer travels and evening iftar gatherings.
Al-Nuaimi is one of the few UAE-born brands to impress international buyers so much that it secured a partnership with a global e-retailer MatchesFashion.com, after the website’s co-founder complimented the designer on her handbag.
She recalls the incident in a conversation with Vogue Arabia, saying: “I was at a MatchesFashion.com event where I met (co-founder) Ruth Chapman, who told me, ‘I love your bag.’ It was my own design and featured embellished pins. She gave me her business card. I gave her a call and she told me that she really liked the concept. That’s when I thought to myself, ‘How can I get them to her?’”
Securing a spot on one if the world’s leading e-retail websites isn’t bad for a brand that was established in 2016.