DUBAI: Luxury Italian fashion house Valentino has unveiled a range of 15 couture abayas designed by the maison’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli at Qatar’s Doha Design District.
The garments, while engineered for modesty, have all the flair of any other Valentino collection. Think: expert tailoring and feminine silhouettes.
The abayas come in a vibrant color palette that includes shades of turquoise, royal blue and burgundy. For the collection, the Italian designer used only the most luxurious materials and fabrics, such as cashmere, crepe and wool.
The collection is also punctuated with plenty of pieces that will appeal to the Middle Eastern clientele’s extravagant taste, including a purple hooded Abaya, entirely embroidered with sequins and featuring velvet details.
Other highlights include a deep red abaya with oversized bows on the sleeves and an embossed gold lurex garment.
The exclusive abaya collection will be on display alongside the Valentino Des Ateliers Haute Couture collection - and the artworks that inspired it - at a special installation in Doha.
Valentino is among the growing number of luxury brands that have designed a range of abayas aimed toward their Muslim consumers.
Memorably, Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana launched its first collection of abayas and hijabs in its signature colorful prints in 2016.
In recent years, brands such as DKNY, Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Mango, and Monique Lhuillier have also produced collections, often sold around Ramadan.