“I sat alone in my office and thought, ‘wow, this is amazing!’” she recalled. That moment of elation was swiftly followed by another sensation: total silence — no phones ringing, no e-mails piling up and no banter with colleagues. The new reality came into sharp focus; she would have to generate everything from scratch. That was daunting, but she wanted to meet the challenge and to put in the effort necessary to grow her business.

The hard work has paid off. She launched her first collection at the Vendome Luxury Tradeshow in Paris in 2009, and her Toujouri brand is now sold across the Middle East and in world-famous stores such as Harrods in London. In January, she opened her flagship store in Doha, Qatar, designed by Peter Marino, the architect admired for his work for Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior and Celine.

I caught up with El-Moatassem for a tea break during the hustle and bustle of London Fashion Week. She was there to take in some shows, soak up the atmosphere and catch up with friends. She could afford to take an observer’s role in London as she took time out before showing her own collection in Paris. However, I sensed when talking to her that she is a woman on a mission, who lives and breathes fashion and in that sense is never really “off-duty.”

She is slim and striking with flowing golden hair and an air of purpose. She admitted to feeling tired but also being truly happy because she is living her dream.

She told me that as a little girl on a family vacation in Jordan, her imagination was fired by the wonderful embroidered pieces being sold in the markets by Palestinian refugees. She wanted to learn more and asked one of the women to teach her. “The lady came to the house for that summer and I sat there and learned,” she said.

Back home she put her newfound skills into practice and laughingly recalled how in her ballet classes, she was the girl with the customized tutus.

“I was always the one with the extra bling — more feathers, more beads! I loved playing with the ribbons, the textures and the trims,” she said.

As a teenager, her father’s job took the family to London, where she attended school and went on to study at Central Saint Martins and the London College of Fashion.

Home to El-Moatassem is Qatar, where she was born and where all her family live. She admitted that her heart is in the Middle East but regards her experience of living in London as having a strong influence in developing her appreciation for art and culture. She loved visiting the museums and art galleries and immersed herself in the city’s rich artistic heritage at a time when Qatar was still developing into the patron of the arts it is today.

If you had to describe Toujouri as a brand, it’s fair to say that the detail is superb and the overall look, whether kaftan, cocktail dress or evening gown, is strikingly beautiful. The beading and embroidery give a rich luster to the garments, while the use of silk, chiffon and tulle creates a dreamy, ultra feminine feeling. Wonderful prints are also a signature of the brand. It’s not a surprise to hear that Toujouri translates as “Treasure Chest” in Arabic, as the clothes catch the eye like precious jewels.

Production is in India and El-Moatassem is immensely proud of the craftsmanship that goes into the garments. She is scathing of brands that fail to acknowledge the true source of their manufacturing. “The fact is that most of the embroidered dresses you see on the shop floor have been made in India. There is a certain level of craftsmanship and technique that you cannot get anywhere else because it is part of the culture, the tradition and the people. If you do your embroidery panels in India and then ship them off to Europe, sew on a button, finish a hem and label the garment as ‘Made in Italy,’ I don’t think that’s fair,” she said.

El-Moatassem spent a year in India visiting the factories and working closely with the staff to achieve the level of finish she expects. “I provided little swatches and samples of hems and seams, working to achieve the right quality,” she said.

It’s that attention to detail that makes the Toujouri brand special, and El-Moatassem a bit of a nightmare to go shopping with! She admits that her mother no longer accompanies her on shopping trips because she has absolutely no shame in turning garments inside out and examining every stitch and seam to see if they meet her high standards.

Admitting that shopping is no longer enjoyable, she explained: “It’s difficult because you know how much things cost to make and how much you are supposed to be paying for them. You can see if they have cut corners — and if I am going to put my money into a garment, I look at every single detail.”

She also laments the fact that the relentless pace of the fashion calendar with its main, pre and capsule collections, is putting designers under enormous pressure. It isn’t unusual today for some companies to expect delivery of the Spring/Summer collections before Christmas. For a brand like Toujouri, where the garments are handmade, that kind of scheduling is impossible.

To overcome this problem, El-Moatassem is exploring the possibility of creating a lower priced Toujouri range that reflects the essence of the brand but doesn’t entail the depth of handicraft found in the main collection. When you consider that attaining the perfect color shade in a fabric could entail five separate stages of dyeing, and that all artwork is placed, designed and drawn from scratch, it’s easy to understand why the process cannot be rushed or compromised in its highest form.

El-Moatassem is conscious that in building her business, she wants a model that will last.

Future plans include bridal wear, and she has just signed with a leading styling agency in LA — so keep an eye out for Toujouri at red carpet events. Toujouri has also collaborated with the online vintage specialist, Atelier Mayer, for the launch of their S/S 12 limited edition collectable print publication.

She is determined above all to stay true to her vision and identity. “I think the spirit of Toujouri reflects my Middle Eastern culture and roots in addition to my exposure to what I have seen abroad. I think it’s really important to express my culture through my designs because very often what we get from Middle Eastern designers is an adaptation of what we think the West wants to see from us, and it stops being true and becomes forced,” she said.

As she stood up to leave, I asked one more question about her immediate plans. “Paris, Doha, London and Mumbai” she said with a smile.

It’s a fashion journey she clearly relishes every step of the way.