All through our lives, we’ve watched old classical movies in which the rich are all decked up in beautiful jewelry, long silk gloves and fur on the shoulders or necks. These timeless, classic styles were adapted by actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Egyptian actresses Laila Murad, Hind Rustom, Um Kalthoom and the legendary Sabah. The classic era was a time of sophistication, elegance and grace. We’ve seen fur adorning royalty such as Queen Fawzia of Iran, daughter of king Farouk and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. Fur has quickly moved on to become less extravagant and more up to date with each passing era. As for this era, a new designer is here to bring back that timeless classic to the fashion scene everywhere.
Mali Mo is a luxury fur line designed by Saudi/Kuwaiti designer Maali Al-Odah, whose love for fur started at a very young age when she would see her mother head out to weddings wearing beautiful fur coats to add to her elegant outfits. She made her father promise to get her one as well and when he did, it was love at first sight. After years of her love for fur, this young woman educated herself on the many fur types out there and invested heavily in the best to bring them back to Kuwait, where she resides. She designed a fur line with the finest black, brown and silver minks, velvety chinchilla, golden brown and silver fox, lynx, Mongolian sheep and Russian sable.
“The luxury fur business is always a family-run business, and to get into the business at times is difficult. It was a challenge and I studied the fashion market for two years before entering into this business. I took the chance because there was no designer who specialized in a fashion line with fur in the entire GCC region,” said Maali.
The production of fur is not an easy business, one must be careful that the pieces are designed in consideration of the type of climate and the target audience. All of Mali Mo’s designs can be worn both for the day look as well as the night look, whether it be over a t-shirt and jeans or a grand night out. They vary from fur collars to vests, short jackets and long jackets to boleros and wraps, each piece is chic and easy going. The choice of fur is not easily handled, Maali heads to the most famous worldwide fur auctions located in Italy, Russia and Hungary to select not only the finest but rarest of natural colored furs for the designs.
To make a fur coat from scratch, the fur is selected, combed and inspected and only then cut to fit a pattern. The parts are then stitched together on a specialized sewing machine. There is a great variety of equipment ranging from state-of-the-art machinery to units that go back decades.
“Weather was a factor that I had to keep in mind, since Kuwait and the GCC are hot and arid areas; I wanted to create a line that could suit the weather. Fur is not necessarily just to keep warm. The fine quality of fur can come handy for everyday use in any weather. I was determined to make fur suitable to wear on all occasions.”
Times and tastes might change, but the designer uses the 1930s as a muse for her designs, since the decade was known for being the epitome of femininity, elegance and sophistication. Up to 100 hours of meticulous craftsmanship are required to create a fur coat. A fur coat or vest is handmade using artisanal skills maintained through centuries-old traditions. The pieces are all one of a kind, hand-crafted by special workers of the trade, designed for comfort and that flows with the modern day fashion world. The designs were first showcased in Kuwait’s Harvey Nichols and costumers showed acceptance toward the line and encouraged the designer to create more pieces.
“My favorite type of fur would be the Chinchilla, it has the finest and softest fur, the color is also amazing, which has a silvery blue hue that can’t be found unless it’s from the finest quality. I would never design a piece that I wouldn’t wear myself.”
It isn’t difficult to see the difference between a low quality fur and a high quality one, it’s simply the texture and feel that gives the quality away. Designer Maali not only selects the finest, she also educates her costumers on finding the right fur type through her extensive research into the fur world. As for what to expect in Mali Mo’s future designs, the designer is incorporating rabbit due to high demand from her costumers. Mali Mo is sold exclusively at Harvey Nichols Kuwait so be sure to follow her Instagram page (malimo_) for the newest designs.

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