DUBAI: Rabia Z. Zargarpur is a superwoman. Learning about her insane current schedule, one wonders when she finds the time to eat and sleep.
Business trips aside, the designer – the force behind the renowned modest fashion brand Rabia Z – has been focusing on the official launch of her Rabia Z Modest Fashion Academy, plus her online Rabia Z Mentorship Program. Then there’s her consulting work, rebranded Rabia Z launch and sustainable fashion collection.
“And of course, family time with my husband, entertaining our 6-year-old twins and our 14-year-old son, who are off for the summer,” the 40-year-old founder, CEO and creative director told Arab News. “So yeah, pretty much business as usual!”
Zargarpur’s brand first came to life in 2002, as one of the world’s first modest fashion, ready-to-wear e-commerce stores, a time when the industry certainly wasn’t as known as it is today.
“We were producing the basics line in Dubai and selling out of San Francisco from my grandfather’s garage,” the Emirati-Afghan-American explains. “We relaunched as a full-on designer brand back in Dubai, on runways in 2006, and won the Emerging Designer Award at Dubai Fashion Week in 2007.”
She went on to showcase modest fashion on mainstream runways and fashion weeks across cities including New York, London, Milan, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Buyers and customers certainly took notice – today, Rabia Z sells to 71 countries.
To Zargarpur, modest fashion is more exciting than ever. “It is finally ‘du jour,’” she exclaimed. “For me – (someone) who has tirelessly worked almost 18 years, the majority of it towards building awareness for this huge market at a time when neither this sector nor the term ‘modest fashion’ existed – I am happy to see it flourish globally.”
Now she predicts that it’s Saudi Arabia’s turn to fully embrace the market. “Saudi women have always been style savvy and with the major changes we’ve seen this year, we will see some of the styles and collections in the GCC come out of Saudi,” she said. “I think modest fashion will especially boom there next.”
Nonetheless, she admits that there remain challenges in the industry. “It’s a work in progress and lots needs improving,” she said. “We need more serious, true global brands that are professional and to the standards of major mainstream designer and retail brands. We need a more sustainable industry and ethical, eco-friendly brands.
“The supply chain is another area of improvement. We need labels that have a strong DNA and an innovative or creative direction which is currently lacking.”
Back to her own business, fans of Rabia Z have plenty to look forward to. “We have always been an ethical brand and always worked with breathable and sustainable fabrics, but upon the relaunch of Rabia Z next year, we would like to not only highlight that in our collections, but also adopt more variety of sustainable fabrics,” Zargarpur said, adding that there will be a separate roll out of Rabia Z Accessories.
She is continuing her collaboration with major online retailer Modanisa on Rabia Z’s licensed hijab line, its signature breathable, combed cotton jersey hijab wraps that are the best-selling hijab in the world. “(It) celebrates its 15th anniversary this year and is being exhibited at the Contemporary Muslim Fashion Exhibition in San Francisco this fall.”
On a personal level, Zargarpur aims to return to academia. “I was offered the opportunity to do a PhD in the Business of Fashion by the London College of Fashion, which I hope to pursue in the next couple of years, InshaAllah,” says Zargarpur, who already holds a business major with a minor in fashion. “In addition to having my PhD, I would like to see our flagship stores in key cities around the world someday, sitting alongside major brands.”
Yup, looks like she won’t be getting much sleep anytime soon.
How Rabia Z built a modest fashion empire
How Rabia Z built a modest fashion empire
- Rabia Z. Zargarpur’s brand first came to life in 2002
- To Zargarpur, modest fashion is more exciting than ever
Sarah Taibah features in Cole Haan’s campaign shot in Jeddah
- Taibah wears several of brand’s designs in images on streets, rooftops
DUBAI: Saudi actor Sarah Taibah this week shared a campaign she fronted with US footwear brand Cole Haan, photographed across the streets and rooftops of Jeddah.
Taibah wore several of the brand’s designs in the images, including pointed-toe heels finished with oversized bow detailing, sleek slingback pumps with a low heel, and classic closed-toe styles for everyday wear.
Her outfits leaned into understated tailoring and clean lines, featuring structured denim sets, fitted jackets paired with midi skirts, and coordinated two-piece looks in dark and earthy tones.
“My intention for this Ramadan is calmness and lightness,” she captioned her post. “To move through the day at my own pace, follow my intuition and less noise in general.”
Taibah — an artist, writer, filmmaker and actor — is known for her roles in the psychological thriller “Hoba” and “A Matter of Life and Death.”
“Hoba” screened at the BFI London Film Festival last year. Taibah previously told Arab News about her performance in the Emirati horror film, directed by Majid Al-Ansari, who is known for the critically acclaimed 2015 film “Zinzana.”
She said: “I got so excited about ‘Hoba’ for two reasons: First, I like the director. I remember seeing his first film, and I thought that he does things differently. Second, I really appreciated him not typecasting me. I’m always cast by directors in certain roles that are really similar to my character, as Sarah, but with Majid, he saw something else. The character couldn’t be more different than me. I’ve never been this challenged, not only because she’s the villain of the movie, but also because it allowed me to experience different techniques, to tap into something a bit supernatural, something I have zero clue how to relate to.”
“Hoba” tells the story of a devoted wife and mother — Amani, played by Bdoor Mohammed — whose life begins to unravel when her husband returns home with a second wife, Zahra (Taibah), and an unseen dark force infiltrates her home.
Meanwhile, “A Matter of Life and Death” premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December.
Billed as a quirky love story, the film is set in Jeddah. It follows superstitious Hayat, played by Taibah, who is “convinced a generational curse will kill her on her 30th birthday.”
