DUBAI: It may not have released an exclusive capsule collection for the Holy Month, but Twisted Roots is modest and oh-so-chic that anything you put together from this label is great for any get-together this Ramadan.
The Dubai-based contemporary womenswear brand has released its Spring/Summer 2018 collection and we’re crushing hard on the pieces. Entitled “Tessellation,” the series was inspired by the Spanish city of Barcelona – mainly guided by the works of renowned architect Antoni Gaudí, arguably the world’s best-known practitioner of Catalan Modernism.
Taking cue from Gaudí’s highly-individualized, one-of-a-kind style, Twisted Roots designer Latifa Al-Gurg has crafted pieces featuring silhouettes with scooped hemlines and fluted sleeves in beautifully tailored tunics. Shirts also feature in the collection, which showcase tile-like cut-outs and patchwork in contrasting colors. Long-sleeved T-shirts and maxi dresses are made of Japanese Tencel, floaty designs are in Chinese silk, while more structured pieces are created out of Italian cotton.
“It was interesting to me looking at the shapes that Antonio Gaudí chose,” explained Emirati-Danish designer Al-Gurg, who works out of her studio in Dubai’s Al-Quoz district, in a released statement. “He decided to adorn his buildings with something that contracts his organic shapes. This juxtaposition inspired me to translate that into a garment.”
This season’s palette is “cool,” featuring shades of blue-ish greens, including the soft and subtle “mint ocean” contrasted with the more bold “aqua shades detailed in the brand’s look book. Neutral shades also make an appearance, mainly with the colors of stone and silver.
As for statement pieces, look out for the stand-out crop tile jacket and midi tile stripe coat.
Since its launch in 2014, Twisted Roots has been offering affordable luxury wear with contemporary classics. Here, the brand focuses on layering, while keeping true to its aesthetic that focuses on clean lines, elegant silhouettes and luxurious fabrics. The pieces are modern, easy-to-wear, and modest, earning the label a legion of hijabi fans.
Funnily enough, brand founder Al-Gurg initially didn’t set out to become a fashion designer, studying electrical engineering at the American University of Sharjah instead. Wanting to become involved in a venture that had more creativity, she switched fields later in her career and set up Twisted Roots.
“The concept was born in 2012. As an electrical engineer working in construction, I found myself struggling to find suitable clothes to travel with that were coordinated and of a certain quality,” Al-Gurg said in an interview with GulfBusiness.com. “I would always be running around finding tops from one place, trousers from another, and then struggling to find coordinating scarves. From that, the idea behind Twisted Roots came to be.
“(It) is a one-stop shop for a woman’s travel wear needs. A place where you can pick up a few tops, a couple of trousers, a jacket or two and matching scarves and be ready to go. The name has complex roots. It comes from my mixed heritage directly, but also indicates how, as we travel, we grow different roots that twist and become part of us. You can also think of it as a pun for Twisted Routes.”
As mentioned, all of her collections have been influenced by travel. For example, “Green Tea” was inspired by China and its tea ceremonies, as well as Chinese architecture. There have also been collections produced thanks to Savannah, Prague, and others locations around the world.
You can shop the collection on twistedroots.ae, a portal that mainly delivers within the UAE, although delivery to other locations is possible.
