1309 Studios founder Ghada Al-Subaey talks Arab representation, dressing Georgina Rodriguez

1309 Studios founder Ghada Al-Subaey talks Arab representation, dressing Georgina Rodriguez
Georgina Rodriguez (right) wore one of Ghada Al-Subaey’s (left) abayas during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha. (Supplied/Instagram)
Short Url
Updated 07 February 2023

1309 Studios founder Ghada Al-Subaey talks Arab representation, dressing Georgina Rodriguez

1309 Studios founder Ghada Al-Subaey talks Arab representation, dressing Georgina Rodriguez

DUBAI: Qatar-based ready-to-wear label 1309 Studios, founded by entrepreneur Ghada Al-Subaey, has been garnering the attention of international stars, including Argentinian model Georgina Rodriguez.

The star, who now lives in Saudi Arabia with her boyfriend Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, wore one of Al-Subaey’s abayas during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha.

Al-Subaey told Arab News that one of her brand’s key goals was to modernize the traditional abaya and “make it accessible to every woman around the world.

“Having Georgina walk into a boutique and pick our abaya off the rack and wear it for such an important event means that we have managed to reach that goal in making the abaya versatile and wearable. She picked one of our signature abayas the palm sage green,” she said.

Rodriguez wore the design with a figure-hugging black dress, silver heels, and a white Chanel bag.

1309 Studios is grounded in a contemporary bohemian aesthetic. At the heart of the brand is a minimalist, feminine look that merges seasonal trends with traditional Qatari elements.




Drop 8, “Eternal Unfolding,” look 1. (Supplied)

Clean silhouettes, bold colors, artful prints, and carefully considered details are hallmarks of the brand. The designer draws inspiration from art, nature, and global culture to create pieces with a contemporary edge.

“When I was a teenager, I found myself exploring fabrics and creating styles that weren’t available in Qatar at the time. I began designing kaftans for family and friends during college and that’s where it all started,” Al-Subaey added.

Before she launched her brand in 2015, she ran her small business from home and relied on word of mouth to increase the hype around her designs.




Drop 8, “Eternal Unfolding,” look 2. (Supplied)

She said: “That was when I conceptualized and worked on launching my own brand. I saw that there was a gap, there was a need to create a community in Qatar where women can turn to take care of their emotional wellbeing and leave no stone unturned to make it into a reality.”

The brand name 1309 is a nod to Al-Subaey’s mother.

“13/09 is my mother’s birthday. The name is dedicated to my mother, as I got my fashion sense from her. I used to watch her stitch and cut when I was younger, I learned all about fabrics and stitching from my mother,” she added.




Drop 8, “Eternal Unfolding,” look 3. (Supplied)

Al-Subaey’s designs, which are shipped worldwide and are available in stores in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Qatar, are tailored in Qatar. She uses sustainable, natural, and vegan fabrics, as well as biodegradable packaging.

She said: “We also recycle scrap fabric and turn it into furniture. We rely on human skills and avoid the use of machinery as much as possible.”

And her designs are not just sketches that she brings to life, she puts thought into the design process to understand how the pieces she is creating will emotionally affect the person wearing it.




Drop 8, “Eternal Unfolding,” look 4. (Supplied)

“I want people to feel relaxed and most like themselves while wearing a 1309 piece of clothing. A lot of times when people are not comfortable in their clothes, they are not themselves.

“The idea behind the 1309 studio woman is to create a safe place for women. A place where women come together to empower and uplift each other professionally and otherwise; to develop a platform where women feel free to speak up and support and take a moment to heal from the daily challenges of life in today’s fast-paced technological world.




Drop 8, “Eternal Unfolding,” look 5. (Supplied)

“The clothes they wear should not be a restraint. The fabrics, colors, and cuts that I choose make the girls feel fun and alive. It should feel like an outfit, rather than a covering for an outfit.

“The fabric we use at 1309 is meant to complement various body types and shapes,” she added.

Al-Subaey is working to grow her brand globally.




Drop 8, “Eternal Unfolding,” look 6. (Supplied)

She said: “I want to change this stigma around abayas. I want abayas to become as respected globally as kimonos and to see everyone around the world wearing them; not necessarily to cover the body, but instead as a fashion statement.

“I would love for my ideas and inspiration to create change. Whether it is about applying sustainable approaches in our work or utilizing environmentally friendly packaging, I want the brand to continue to make a positive impact toward the community.

“I would like to expand globally and represent the Arab world in a global fashion space,” she added.


Sudan’s speciality ‘bittersweet’ Ramadan drink

In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it.
In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it.
Updated 26 March 2023

Sudan’s speciality ‘bittersweet’ Ramadan drink

In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it.
  • In Sudan, the arduously made “helo-murr,” which means “bittersweet,” is a drink synonymous with Ramadan
  • It can be found on almost every table across the northeast African country at the end of the day’s fast

OM ESHR, Sudan: As generations of Sudanese have done before her, Wissal Abdel Ghany crouched next to a fire to prepare a traditional drink, a thirst-quenching favorite enjoyed during the fasting month of Ramadan.
In Sudan, the arduously made “helo-murr,” which means “bittersweet,” is a drink synonymous with the Islamic holy month.
It can be found on almost every table across the northeast African country at the end of the day’s fast.
“Without it, our table feels empty,” said Abdel Ghany, wearing a bright orange headscarf.
She sat in a small room in the village of Om Eshr, on the outskirts of the capital Khartoum, which teemed with a small force of women busily scraping and spreading a mixture before serving the beverage in clear glasses.
The drink has satisfied thirsty fasters for decades and recipes are “inherited from our mothers and grandmothers,” the 43-year-old said.
Corn is harvested and left to dry in the sun before being ground and mixed with spices such as fenugreek, cumin or even hibiscus — Sudan’s other essential Ramadan beverage.
This mixture is then soaked in sugar and water for several days.
Abdel Ghany spread a layer of the thick brown paste over a grill plate above the coals of a wood fire, cooking it into a thin, leather-colored film.
The resulting crepe-like layer is then peeled away and stored — ready to be soaked in the final step to create the beloved drink.
Served as cold as possible, the drink is one of many ways that fasting Sudanese cool off, a significant challenge in one of the world’s hottest countries.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, after which they traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast.
In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it, with diplomats wielding wooden spoons over embers and sipping the amber liquid.
Abdel Ghany said preparing the drink is a collective effort, bringing “together our sisters and friends.”
“We make it together to share among ourselves,” she said.
In Sudan’s cities, she added, some people don’t make it themselves.
“But they still have to offer it for dinner, so they buy it ready-made,” she said.
For Abdel Ghany, the preparation of helo-murr and the holy month cannot be separated.
“All it takes is a whiff of the scent coming out of a home to know that Ramadan is here,” she said.


London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds
Updated 26 March 2023

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds

DUBAI: More than 500 people flocked to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on Friday for an ‘Open Iftar’ event organized by the Ramadan Tent Project charity.

“Ramadan 2023 marks 10 phenomenal years of the Ramadan Tent Project and our signature Open Iftar events. Over the past nine years, our humble tent on a patch of green grew and grew, before it traveled to landmark locations,” the project said.

Similar events will take place this year at Shakespeare’s Globe theater, Wembley Stadium, Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium and the Royal Albert Hall.

“The theme to mark our 10-year anniversary is ‘Belonging’. For the past decade we’ve connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds. Our passion in bridging between different communities is rooted in sharing our authentic selves with the world. 

“True belonging shouldn’t require you to change who you are – rather, it’s to celebrate who you are,” read an additional statement on the website.

Since 2013, the Open Iftar events have hosted more than 500,000 people across the UK at some of the country’s most iconic cultural spaces including Trafalgar Square, the BALTIC Museum, Bradford’s Centenary Square and Coventry Cathedral.
 


Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 
Updated 26 March 2023

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 

DUBAI: After revealing that he designed US pop sensation Taylor Swift’s showstopping ballgown for the “The Eras Tour” just last week, Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad is back with yet another unique look for her latest stop in Las Vegas.  

The 33-year-old wore a shimmering dark blue outfit, with embellishment and fringe detailing, paired with knee-high boots. 

“@TaylorSwift wore for The Eras Tour Las Vegas Opening Night a custom #ZMCouture midnight blue crystal embellished bodysuit, overflowing with richly beaded fringes and a matching garter,” posted the label’s official Instagram account, sharing a picture of the glittering outfit.  

The Grammy Award-winning singer -- who kicked off her first trek in more than four years at Glendale, Arizona's State Farm Stadium last weekend -- belted out her top hits at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday in a three-hour show  that ran through hits from every era of her 17-year career. 

At the Glendale concert, Swift donned a custom-made gown by Murad in a peachy hue with starburst sequin work across the length of the creation.


Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup

Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup
Updated 26 March 2023

Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup

Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup
  • Saudi Arabia-based influencer Tamaraah Al-Gabbani paid tribute to the Kingdom’s upcoming smart city NEOM with an attention-grabbing headpiece
  • Tunisian model Rym Saidi showed off a red ensemble by Italian label Fendi

DUBAI: Fashion lovers from across the Middle East and beyond descended on the Dubai World Cup on Saturday to take in the horse races and show off their race-day attire.

Saudi Arabia-based influencer Tamaraah Al-Gabbani paid tribute to the Kingdom’s upcoming smart city NEOM with an attention-grabbing headpiece that was inspired by the architecture of the project.

She also showed off a dress by celebrity-loved Lebanese label Azzi & Osta.

“I have attended the #DubaiWorldCup for the majority of my life and I’m so happy to be back again. My hat this year is a heartfelt ode to Saudi Arabia’s project @discoverneom The Line and sustainability. Nazgul Nejmi, my hat designer has always been inspired by the architecture of exceptional developments, and given this year’s emphasis on being the year of sustainability, what better example than Neom’s The Line,” Al-Gabbani posted on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Tunisian model Rym Saidi showed off a red ensemble by Fendi, which celebrity stylist Cedric Haddad paired with a Virginie.O headpiece.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Rym Saidi (@rymsaidi)


Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne

Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne
Updated 26 March 2023

Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne

Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne

DUBAI: Argentine model, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-time partner, Georgina Rodriguez has collaborated with Saudi perfume label Laverne on a new campaign — and she answers candid questions about her time in the Kingdom in the new clip.

 Riyadh-based Rodriguez says “I feel very safe in this country and really appreciate its family values” in the stylish video posted on social media on Saturday.  

“I felt very happy to be able to connect with this heaven on Earth. The power and magic that is in the Saudi desert is incredible,” she said when asked her thoughts on visiting the country’s desert region earlier this year.

The model went on to share her excitement about experiencing Ramadan in Saudi Arabia in the advert that is promoting the label’s latest scent, Blue Laverne.

Laverne ships across the GCC.

On Thursday, the model was announced as the ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses, available in the Gulf region.