JEDDAH: Third Culture Co. is a fashion design studio that designs and creates garments, bags, and homewear.
Shaima Shamsi, the founder of the brand, told Arab News: “We do not create for the sake of creating; we observe fashion as a language that has the opportunity to engage and communicate. Therefore, each of our collections is a statement of dialogue between its wearer and the environment.”
The entrepreneur said her strong sense of discipline is the foundation for her brand. “I come from a background where if you do not know how to do something, you learn it, and that has been the key to navigating through the growth of Third Culture Co. today.”
A Saudi-born Indian interdisciplinary artist and designer, Shamsi also has a strong sense of nature and likes to do everything she can to preserve it. Sustainability is a key priority for the brand. As a result, the company carefully selects the materials used to produce its range of items, and it only produces a small quality for each collection. “As a small business we do not compromise on quality when sourcing our materials. The current industry standards encourage mass production, bulk ordering, and craftsmen/women’s exploitation,” Shamsi said.
The designer also looks at the full lifecycle of the products. “(We) always ask our clients to send back their purchases to us for mending and end-of-life recycling to ensure they are disposed of or repurposed with respect to the environment,” she added.
Third Culture Co. is currently working on releasing a new collection focused on being a bridge between the past and the present, with designs and patterns inspired by the 14th and 15th centuries.
