JEDDAH: Bohemian style is a popular look among artistic individuals and for the free-spirited, Gypsy Accessories offers all the right added extras to stay in vogue.
The handmade accessories brand was started in Jeddah three years ago by Malikah Alimam, a 25-year-old Syrian architect with a lifelong passion for arts and handicrafts.
“The story of it goes back to my childhood. I had an enormous interest in collecting jewelry pieces and re-designing my own jewelry,” she told Arab News.
As she grew up, Alimam collected unique materials and items from countries she visited to create expressive and distinctive art works. “Later in 2016, me and my loving mom, Zain, decided to open our online store Gypsy Accessories and with the support of family we turned a passion into a small business.”
The store provides individual boho-urban pieces made with top-quality craftsmanship. “We focus on high-quality natural materials as I consider it a part of Gypsy’s vision and message as a brand,” she said.
With the natural world the inspiration behind all the products, stones used include agate, quartz, jasper and more. “Silver and natural wood are essential materials in our designs too. Our aim is to use Gypsy designs as a symbol of each person’s connection to nature.
“We want all the adventurous spirits looking to discover nature to always carry a symbol of it with them,” added Alimam.
The founder said the handcrafted style of each piece showed a “respect for raw natural materials. This for me is what gives the style its uniqueness.”
Gypsy Accessories has successfully created two main collections. Inspired by outer space, Alimam worked on her Sayyar collection for a long time. “Outer space with all its greatness is something that has amazed me since forever,” she said. “We’ve always looked at this enormous universe with our small human eye as if it is very far away and different from us, when it’s actually not.”
Alimam tried to find a connection between humans and faraway planets “by relating the physical characteristics of planets to the different personalities of humans, so that humans feel more connected to the universe.” Her 2019 Eid collection celebrated different natural stones such as amber and marble which have been used as unique middle pieces in necklaces.
“Other than the Sayyar and Eid collections, some have focused on the beauty of a certain material, such as the Fabric collection, and others on a design element like in the Blacked collection, which was inspired from the simplicity of a thin black line.”
Keep up with Gypsy Accessories on Instagram (@gypsy.hm). The online store makes deliveries in Jeddah and there are plans in the pipeline to distribute internationally.
Startup of the Week: Jeddah’s Gypsy Accessories taking inspiration from natural surroundings and modern trends
Startup of the Week: Jeddah’s Gypsy Accessories taking inspiration from natural surroundings and modern trends
- Gypsy Accessories has successfully created two main collections
Children’s Theater Festival opens in Qassim region
- To develop future ‘cultural architects,’ says CEO Khaled Al-Baz
- ‘Nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and sense of belonging’
BURAIDAH: The Qassim Children’s Theater Festival opened on Tuesday bringing together professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, governor of Qassim, at the Science Center in Unaizah governorate.
It has been Organized by the Theater and Performing Arts Association and executed by the Unaizah Theater Association, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Running until Jan. 31, it features shows, panel discussions, as well as training workshops to develop children’s theater and strengthen professional skills in the field.
Khaled Al-Baz, CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Association, told the SPA the festival forms part of a broader strategy to position children’s theater as a distinct cultural sector.
“Children today constitute genuine audiences — tomorrow’s cultural architects,” Al-Baz said.
Ahmed Al-Humaimidi, president of the Unaizah Theater Association, said it was an investment in young people, noting that it extends beyond performances to include cultural and educational programming.
He said the initiative aims to nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and a sense of belonging, while also identifying emerging talent and encouraging knowledge exchange among theater practitioners.
“Our association recognizes children’s theater as foundational to cultivating aware, creative character,” he said.
The festival serves as both an artistic showcase and a platform for professional dialogue, reflecting the Kingdom’s expanding cultural landscape and growing focus on children’s theater as an educational and cultural tool, the SPA noted.
This occurs alongside support for signature initiatives and performing arts promotion as quality-of-life enhancement.
