Yet, perhaps the most anticipation comes from the fashion world. The three days of Eid transform into an informal Fashion Week in the Middle East. Fashionistas show off their bespoke kaftans and strut their glamorous gowns. Friends and family become their audience, while other fashionistas are their critics.

Eid fashion is always the most exhilarating. This is the time when ladies shed the abaya and reveal their inner individualism, whether with a customized feminine Filwa Nazer piece or an avant-garde creation from NOA Couture.

But remember, the cardinal rule in fashion takes on even heavier weight come Eid: Never wear something that someone else you know has because with the three-day window of Eid, chances are you’re going to bump into them. And, after binging on sambousaks for a month, the probability of them looking better in it than you is also extremely high. So, all in all, it’s a bad idea. And, even more fashionably faux pas: never wear something that someone else has already worn the year before! Classic doesn’t exist during Eid, but trust me, “so-last-year” does!
 

Just like the fashionista who’s been secretly waiting until the first day of Eid to unveil her bejeweled Alice Temperley couture kaftan, I’ve been saving something special for our Eid readers: Emirati designer Mariam Al Mazro.

I was introduced to Al Mazro and her three-year old brand, MIMI Fashion Designs, during Autumn/Winter 2010 Dubai Fashion Week, and I quickly saw the potential of her psychedelic pattern kaftans for this year’s Eid spotlight.

After a month of humility and deep spiritual contemplation, MIMI designs shout rebirth! They are playfully vibrant and intoxicatingly youthful. Officially launched at the Sharjah Bride Show in February 2007, MIMI is a fun concoction of bright colors and contemporary cuts made for the modern woman.

“The MIMI woman is really a social butterfly who always turns heads with her dress sense and attitude,” asserted Al Mazro. She is the center of the party. She is the girl in the room who all the other girls want to be. She is the liberated woman who is neither afraid to experiment nor take risks with her style, making her fashion sense the envy of others. She is a free spirit who celebrates her individuality and vivacious attitude through her trendsetting fashion.

Fortunately, Al Mazro is able to create the perfect complementary wardrobe to this type of fashionista. “Because prints and their variations really interest me, I mix cuts, prints and fabrics with the traditional kaftan silhouettes, making it more current and trendier,” explained the designer.

Her design concept is based on a fusion of the traditional Eastern jalabiya and Western maxi dress. “I use similar style cuts of kaftans and dresses and mix them together, doubling that with multiple prints or patterns to make a MIMI design,” stated Al Mazro. “Floral, geometric, plaid, polka dots, stripes… my designs are a combination of two or more of these prints, and it is quite possible that they all exist in a single dress!”

At the moment MIMI’s collection includes long kaftans and dresses. “In the past two seasons, I have concentrated on designing long dresses throughout the collection, highlighting different design patterns and techniques in each cut,” she said.

She has also designed long blouses and tunics since the inception of her brand, but regardless, each piece retains her signature pattern combination aesthetic.

Al Marzo plans on diversifying her line by adding special collections of seasonal blouses as well as jumpsuits, which she believes, “are currently becoming the new and popular category in fashion.”

A self-taught designer, Al Mazro was drawn into the industry by her sister who is also a fashion designer. “It is obvious that design was not in the big scheme of things,” confessed Al Mazro as she accounts her student years and the major she earned in accounting. “It was only when I became more involved in my sister’s work that I started taking it [design] seriously.” A testament to her commitment, Al Mazro then took fashion courses such as drawing and sketching to enhance herself as a legitimate designer. It was during her studies that she began experimenting on design patterns.

“My design process starts by searching for the materials and mixing and matching these materials and their prints,” revealed Al Mazro. She then designs the cut to suit the mix of the particular materials in order to create a unique and flattering end result.

Al Mazro also searches for a new print to feature as her signature print for each collection. “In the April 2010 collection, I used different stretch zigzag shapes and mixed it with floral prints,” stated the designer. “For my upcoming collection, I am using karuhaat (plaid) and mixing it with different prints.”

However, it is a variation of influences that dictates the cut and prints she’ll use. “A lot of times, the fabric helps me determine and decide on the cuts and designing of the pattern,” she stated.

“My philosophy is not to limit myself in my creativity, whether it is in color, pattern or fabric selection,” explained Al Mazro, “I consider myself free spirited in fashion and my designs are a portrayal of this attitude.”

This year’s collection was aimed for a younger generation. “I wanted to extend my target reach to the young fashionistas of the 14 to 27 year age group who are very creative and are more interested in modern styles and fashion influence,” she revealed. “My inspiration for this collection came while watching the movie trailer for ‘Alice in Wonderland’ before its release in the UAE.”

What remained in Al Mazro’s mind long after the trailer had ended was how the film had highlighted that unique transitional age between female adolescence and womanhood. The result of this inspiration was the youthful, yet confident, line that was released for Autumn 2010. Her funky mix of fabrics and juxtaposition of prints creates a pastiche of materials that any confident young woman would love to show off.

“I brought back one of my signature prints — the polka dots — in many of the designs and in different shapes while mixing them with colorful floral and stripe prints.” This collection incorporates attention-grabbing bright colors, and a hyper-mix of multiple patterns in single garment. Therefore, it is no surprise that when asked who her most influential designer is, she stated Christian Lacrouix.

“Before pursuing my career as a designer, over 15 years ago, I was seriously taken back by his style and creativity that has no boundaries,” confessed Al Mazro. “During my travels to Europe, I researched his style history to try and understand the dynamic of his collections. I still have all these designs from my research, which I now consider as my treasure trove.”

She also states that she is a huge fan of another print master: Etro. Being a self-proclaimed hard-core Emilio Pucci-addict and Missioni feign myself, it’s no wonder how MIMI designs have managed to find a soft, polka dot covered place in my fashionista heart.

But it’s not just about prints. “I experiment a lot of different factors when it comes to the materials: From color combination and texture, to pattern blending and contrast,” stated Al Mazro. “This is very important as MIMI is about the mishmash of all these elements.”

Al Mazro scours the local souks, or markets, in search of the perfect fabrics. “Traditionally, the Middle East is a hub of textiles from the Subcontinent, Far East Asia and Europe, so we end up getting the best textiles from around the round right here,” explained the designer. “The choice is varied and great to the point that I only recently began exploring the European market for patterns that are yet to be introduced to the Middle East.”

So, should we expect some fleur-de-lis covered fabrics and perhaps an injection of delicate French lace for MIMI next season?

Having participated in Dubai Fashion Week for four consecutive seasons, MIMI is ready to expand. “Showcasing a series of strong collections season after season has now earned me brand recognition in the UAE market,” said the designer. “My ambition is now to expand across the Gulf targeting markets like KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain before proceeding into the European markets.”

Al Mazro understands that to walk, one must first crawl. “It is important to have a solid regional presence and recognition before expanding into the competitive international markets. But, having said that, I’m hoping that once I’m well established in the Gulf, I’ll be able to expand the MIMI brand on to the international markets.”

Well, one thing is for sure: Al Mazro is successfully on her way to achieving her dream. She already has a stock list that includes Saudi Arabia. Her entry into the Saudi market coincided with the launch of her Eid collection, which is now available in Riyadh in The Queen boutique.

Yet, I have a strong feeling that this time next year, we’ll be seeing a lot more of MIMI! But, remember: You need to be the first, or else, you’ll be “that girl who wore the same thing as the girl who wore that beautiful kaftan!” God, forbid!