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Bahraini designer Adeeba Al-Khan paid homage to Arabian women in this month’s Taste of Fashion with her collection of jalabiyas in beautiful blue hues, gorgeous greens and summery shades.
Bahrain City Centre and the Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre hosted its latest fashion feast at the T-Spoon boutique café for a select group of women from the Children and Mother’s Welfare Society to savour the beauty and elegance of designs from Adeeba’s Anmar Couture brand.
Duaij Khalifa Al Rumaihi, City Centre’s senior mall manager, said: “This is the first time Taste of Fashion has been dedicated solely to Arabic women’s fashion and we were fortunate enough to have an emerging designer like Adeeba showcase her collection.
“We’d like to thank her for sharing her exquisite designs and allowing women in the community to enjoy a truly unique experience. Appealing to Arabic fashion shoppers is important to us, and we look forward to hosting more Arabic-inspired ‘Taste of Fashion’ events.”
The mother-of-five from Saar established Anmar Couture in 1999 to offer women in the region a variety of oriental-inspired jalabiyas and gowns fit for any occasion.
She said: “I have always been inspired by Asian designs and have implemented the colours, fabrics and intricate embroidery into my work.
“I am thankful to the organisers for allowing me to exhibit my work. They created an organised and intimate affair for other Arab women to see the glamorous side of jalabiyas.
“To truly appreciate the art behind making these dresses, you should see them modelled.
“The event also gave me a chance to mingle with potential customers and see what they like. This event has also come at a perfect time as Eid Al Adha is right around the corner and this is the time when many women shop for new items.”
Before the show, organisers sold Think Pink badges and key chains to support the month-long breast cancer awareness campaign.
As women enjoyed a light breakfast of fluffy croissants, tasty muesli and blueberry yoghurt cups, statuesque Arabic models draped in flowing gowns and detailed jalabiyas made their way around the café.
Arabic music played in the background as the models paused at different tables for guests to admire the detailed embroidery and texture of the gowns.
Numerous mall visitors were also drawn to the vibrant collection like bees to honey as they shopped close by.
Turbans and stylish head scarves are currently very popular in the fashion world, which perfectly fits in with Adeeba’s Arabian-themed jalabiyas. A favourite among the invitees was the short white daisy jalabiya, a modern twist on Arabic tradition, and the orange jalabiya, which featured a detailed embroidered back.
Keeping with this season’s trend for baroque and opulent designs, Adeeba showcased rich prints in conservative gowns such as the black mermaid turtle-neck dress which, in this writer’s opinion, would require a stellar figure to pull off.
Some of Adeeba’s jalabiyas had an Indian and Pakistani flair to them and Jordanian embroidery featured in other gowns.
While all her designs are made in Bahrain, some dresses are manufactured in India. She also has Turkish-inspired gowns and jalabiyas, but they were not part of her range for this show.
Aside from the bright yellows and orange colours, green jalabiyas were another highlight of the event. She said: “In Islamic countries, women wear green for their henna night and milcha (engagement party in which the couple signs a marriage contract).
“While many girls are out in search of the perfect white wedding dress, many customers come to me for elaborate green gowns. I want to show women that we do cater to different tastes and styles.”
Adeeba has three boutiques in Bahrain, two in Riffa and one in Bahrain City Centre. The brand has also grown in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. She has four in the neighbouring kingdom and two in Abu Dhabi.
She said: “I have been in the fashion business for the past 12 years and have developed a huge customer base across the region that has been enjoyed by Arabs and expats alike.
“The demand is high and because many new customers find it difficult to come to Bahrain as often as they may like, I decided to bring my fashion straight to their doorstep. I will be opening more stores in the future.
“My aim is to someday launch a factory in Bahrain and promote young Arab designers that have the talent and drive to succeed.”
Adeeba’s jalabiyas start from BD35 and the more elaborate ones can fetch BD500, or more.
At the end of the event, as with every Taste of Fashion session, some lucky attendees returned home with a selection of prizes including mall shopping gift vouchers and spa treatments.
