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Fashion designer Ebtisam Mohammed Salman, who has wowed people in the past with her colourfully-collaborative abayas with artist Thajba Najeeb, has launched a new Ramadan collection inspired by Japanese culture.
The mother-of-two former Fashion TV reality star has transformed everyday, long black cloaks into warrior-wear with a samurai style.
“My new concept is inspired by samurai Japanese culture,” explained Ebtisam, 35, who is the acting head of cash collecting and recording at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications. “I am fond of samurai culture and I wanted to reflect that in my new line.
“The modernised abayas feature an array of cuts and colours with which these looks can definitely compete on the runways.”
Samurai (or bushi) were the warriors of premodern Japan that were skilled in bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword.
Their exterior appearances often feature sleek black ensembles with rugged and tough accents which are also echoed in Ebtisam’s designs.
The Abayat Guin owner created 20 pieces varied between the classic black design featuring luxury silk and fancy embroidery and the street style boasting English linen with light and neon colours along with inserts of denim fabric in modern cuts.
Ebtisam also has a special team that is always searching for the latest revolutionary technology in textiles.
She has just made a deal with a company in Tokyo to provide them with smart fabrics that have particles that can interact with heat and reverse it.
With Bahrain’s extremely hot summer coming, this will be ideal. Women can look edgy, sleek and cool all at the same time.
She and her team are also working on providing an anti-virus abaya that will be licensed by the Ministry of Commerce with a certificate.
Ebtisam has always loved fashion and design, creating her own clothes and abayas since 2011. She studied fashion and design in London College of Fashion and will be joining the Master of Innovation Management in Arabian Gulf University.
She became a familiar face on the small screen after participating in the popular TV reality show Fashion Star Arabia and was the first Bahraini woman to participate and lasted eight rounds of the 10-episode show. For details, follow @abayat_guin on Instagram.
