Designing, a family trait!
Nabila Al Aissaoui and Hayaa Al Fadhel, the mother and daughter designer duo from Bahrain, will showcase their latest designs at the Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition, Qatar’s leading fashion platform. The event will commence from November 12 and conclude on 18 at the new Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
In a relatively short amount of time, ‘Dar Naseem AlAndalos’- the brand created by the duo, evolved into a status that it competes with international luxury brands. It took no time for the brand’s trendy, fashion- forward and tasteful designs to become a preferred choice for fashionable women seeking sophistication, elegance and excellence.
Dar Naseem AlAndalos is a Bahrain-based brand that produced a new breed of luxurious caftans and evening gowns that mix the Moroccan and Khaleeji heritage.
The designers embraced traditional handwork and applied it on modern and stylish designs. Their unique approach in designing and attention to details has gained the brand a respected name in the Arab fashion industry.
Nabila, who’s originally Moroccan, always had a passion for design. When she was a young bride, she used to receive heavily embellished Moroccan caftans that didn’t suit the Gulf region.
This inspired her to form a fusion of Moroccan and Khaleeji caftans at a time when Moroccan wear wasn’t popular in the Gulf region. However Nabila didn’t venture in the fashion business until later when all her children grew up and she felt she’s ready to take the next step.
Owing to a background in fashion and knowledge in garment construction, Nabila started as small and introduced her innovative pieces to her friends and family who encouraged her to pursue a career in fashion.
Thanks to Nabila, Hayaa, the daughter grew up in a very creative environment where pursuing what she felt passionate about was encouraged. Being the eldest daughter she always assisted her mother in her artistic projects.
As she grew older she experimented in various fields of art and design until she settled with Architecture. By the time she reached her third year in her Architecture Degree Nabila’s business grew and Hayaa felt obliged to aid her mother in managing the family business. She grew attached to work and felt that she can express herself better in fashion.
With her newfound passion Hayaa changed her career path and is currently studying Fashion Design at Royal University for Women. Her time is divided between her studies and her role in Dar Naseem AlAndalos as Creative Director while her mother is in charge of Design.
The duo’s attention to details, understanding of luxurious fabrics and focus on creating feminine silhouettes is what makes them a design force to be reckoned with and what sets them apart from others. Here’s an excerpt from DT News interview with the duo:
Why the name “Dar Naseem AlAndalos”?
Nabila: The literal meaning of the name is “A breeze from Andalusia”. I’m originally from north of Morocco, I grew up in a beachfront city just across from Spain and I was always fascinated by the rich culture of Andalusia. Arab’s reached their prime during that time and Andalusia was a meeting point of all civilizations. I feel passionate about our history and heritage and wanted that to represent my vision for the brand.
What makes Dar Naseem AlAndalos unique?
Hayaa: I’d say the fusion that we came up with is what makes us unique. We mixed the best of the Moroccan and Khaleeji heritage and craftsmanship, and we continue to experiment with new materials and silhouettes while being attentive to the details and quality. We always make sure that no matter how rich a piece is with details it should look effortless and elegant.
Where do you source your fabrics and materials?
Nabila: It’s really hard to find the right materials. We deal with luxurious fabrics and we’re care about the quality of our products. We have dealers that provide us fabrics from France, Italy, Turkey and India. Our next step is manufacturing our own fabrics and textiles. We design the Moroccan embroideries and handmade Moroccan belts, which are made exclusively for us in Morocco. Everything else from designing, construction and embroidery is done here in our Atelier in Bahrain.
How long does it take to make a collection?
Hayaa: The process of making collections differs from one to the other. Haute Couture collections take longer than Ready-to-Wear. We usually start with the Haute Couture collection 6 months before the launch date as we gather resources and materials and work on the concept and designs. Production takes more than three months for 30 pieces.
Our ready-to-wear pieces are usually derived from the Haute Couture line and that takes three months from sourcing fabrics and production. The ready-to-wear collections usually have 40 pieces.
Photo Caption :
A design by the team and Nabila AlAissaoui and Hayaa AlFadhel
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