The values that you are born with are an invaluable part of who you are that can’t be auctioned or done away with.

Since you will be considered a broken soul roaming aimlessly without them, you need to embrace them with grace.

No one understood the deeper meaning disguised behind this vital reality better than a renowned Emirati abaya designer Lamya Abedin when she returned from abroad. Feeling nostalgic at this juncture, she immediately took the plunge by rejuvenating the regionally accepted

outer dress for women called “abaya” with a high-end contemporary touch and in so doing drew everybody’s attention both at home and overseas.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sit down with her to find out what drove her toward fashion and much more.

Fashion has always been her forte. Be it dressing herself up with her mother’s scarves, looking through her grandma’s closet or even trying to redesign the look of her school uniform — it has been the greatest love of her life and now her destiny.

Lamya’s interest in fashion became all the more evident in the year 2008 when she was searching briskly for an abaya that could give her personality what it needed most. But she just couldn’t get her hands on a one-kind-of-a piece which salvaged her looks hundred percent. From then on, her love for fashion, styling and creative design seemed to come together and ultimately become her inner calling that urged her to explore her creative senses. “I started making abayas for myself. My family’s support, encouragement from friends and compliments from my confidants were the final rudiments that made me who I’m today,” she says.

Moving to Jeddah initially from abroad in the same year proved to be a turning point for her. Known as the cultural hub of Saudi Arabia, this is where she first got a chance to experiment with fabric, design, workmanship and craftsmanship. Though she had a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she was more inclined toward having a creative job. “I wanted more from life than to find myself stuck in pursuing a regular tedious job,” she says.

And looking by the extremely high popularity of her label “THE QUEEN OF SPADES” since its inception, there is no doubt that she was right to choose fashion as her career.

Also, she was expecting another big thing to come about in her life. “I always dreamt of being a mother, and as a child, I wanted to be a specialized doctor. I guess both professions use stitches and a pair of good hands,” she grins.

Her designs resonate with multiple inspirations from traditional clothes as varied as kimonos from Japan, saris from the Indian subcontinent and even ponchos. As the first to have created a jumpsuit-style abaya, a travel abaya, a maternity abaya and sports abaya, she is a favorite with young fashionistas. “I feel proud of having given the national dress of ours a modern, fashionable look,” she says.

Being self-taught, trials and errors were an integral part of her journey as a designer. And she believes that it truly honed her skills as a great creator. This intuitive curiosity has led her to explore different corners of the globe in the Gulf, Middle East, Europe and North Africa wherein she has been touched by their immense cultural dimensions and given wings to her creative perspectives. Most importantly, she has often showcased them exquisitely in her collections. “I have even extended my source of materials and techniques from far and wide. I have collections inspired from Russian Dolls, Turkish Sultans, Japanese seasons and Mexican festivities,” she explains. “I’ve used techniques like Asian appliquéing, French quilting, Uzbek Ikat printing, Chinese screen printing and the like learnt from vintage artisans. What really excites me is that I can integrate world cultures into creating designs for our national dress.”

Everything around her rings like an inspiration. Her daughter’s shoe, her handbag, a texture of a pillow case, a belt or whatever it is, she is always looking for uniqueness in everything and takes her inspiration from that. Old times, movies, books, textures, colors of flowers, accessories, people she meets are her all-time sources of inspiration. It goes as far as international runway shows to her children’s toys; from her grandmother’s closet to an evening out with friends. “I find inspiration at every corner. From top brass designers to the mundane things of everyday, I’m inspired at every moment to create a unique speciality,” says Lamya.

This time too, her latest seasonal collection titled “The Enchanted Forest” digs into the same thematic splendor where lavish winter textures take center stage as tweeds and suedes, fur and wool juxtapose with velvets, linen, organza, leather and cotton. Mesh works, embossed jacquards, tassles and lots of layering blow magic into her creations.

As the abaya craze makes inroads into other countries with a bang, it clearly manifests that women from all nationalities can adapt it to their fashion statement. “Abayas have evolved and have been redefined to not only suit the Emirati woman, but women of all nationalities, all races, and all cultural backgrounds. It has become an admired piece of garment the world over,” she says. Her creations’ appeal has struck a chord with many international fashion stars. As such, they are worn by a long and varied list of reputed fashionistas from royals and VIPs to international celebs like elegant designer Tory Burch, Brazilian super model Raica Oliveira, Egyptian actress Nabila Ebeid, top chef Manal Al-Alam, and now more recently Nicole Richie, Kimora Lee Simmons and Giuliana Rancic.

For that matter, even Lady Gaga has been blown away by the sheer splendor of her designed abayas. “Gaga sure is a designer’s delight. She is known for her quirky outfits and extraordinary flair. So when I was approached by her publicist to design for her, it was quite exhilarating. Once again I made our local culture the central theme of what I designed for her and called it ‘Gaga Arabia’,” she smiles.

Lamya created this gown for her with a traditional cane puff skirt with burqa covering appliqués. She complemented this beautiful dress with a bustier that was sculpted with panels of ghotra print, bisht embroidery on the neckline and an interlocking basket-weave.

“To take the Gaga-esque drama further I suggested a masquerade made of traditional jewelry and a belt made of opal. All I can say is that the singer is a fantastic muse for fashion,” she explains. Her designs are unrivaled in terms of a creative design statement or an exclusive texture as it makes them stand out every time. “Every woman has a unique personality — one that defines her style and who she is. Just as that can’t be duplicated, so shouldn’t her attire. So yes, this is an essential part of my brand and creations and an integral part of my design principle,” she says. “It’s a big fashion disappointment to walk into a ceremony and find yourself wearing something that another person is wearing. With a Queen of Spades outfit, that’s never going to happen to you.” Since it is spring time, the trends in vogue this season she believes are Bohemian, floral, suede, denim, gingham, and fringes. But Lamya’s hands are full with new projects she is going to launch shortly.

“We have just introduced our Mother’s Day collection in collaboration with Galeries Lafayette. It consists of Mommy & Baby twin sets inspired from Mary Poppins where everything was just so sweet,” she says. “Our Ramadan collection is round the corner touching yet another cultural story for the fashionistas to experience and live the tales off.” Seen as a trendsetter in the abaya industry today, she has continued to add many feathers to her cap which is quite a big thing; from becoming the first Emirati designer to be welcomed by the international fashion giant Galeries Lafayette in Dubai to associating and collaborating with top international names like Burj Al-Arab Hotel (its helipad was the location on which Lamya chose to proudly display her patriotic creation, comprised of forty UAE flags spread over forty meters), Honres Des Pres perfumes, Rolls Royce and Cadillac Motors.

Asked what she thinks about incorporating car design and fashion which she has been part of, she replies, “When you design, there should be no lines ever drawn. Always give creativity its widest range possible to unwind. Cars are definitely in the fashion industry just as fashion is in the motor industry. Many fashion labels have had partnerships such as Jaguar and Stella McCartney for example. Interiors are done using the creative designs of some of the best designers in the world. They have become a huge fashion statement and definitely strengthen one’s identity and personal style statement.”

The one collaboration which she has enjoyed most is that of a lifestyle documentary filming with none other than the National Geographic! That being said, she has also collaborated with Akillis, the audacious French brand known for its exquisite, fine diamond jewelry.

Emiratis strive to conquer every industry in their own unique way. With Expo 2020 coming, all their dreams have reawakened at full throttle. “I can see our fashion industry to touch the stars in no time,” she points out.

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