Trendy thobes for the quintessential Arabian woman

The key to innovative designs is to venture into the world of fashion and get inspired by its surroundings. The Arabian man has always donned the thobe, which has been an essential part of his wardrobe for ages. However, time is evolving and every region has its own version of it. The thobe is a symbol of one’s own individuality and women of the region have also used the abaya or body cover, which has also changed and evolved, but one aspect always stands out, innovation, creativity and versatility. This year, Toby by Hatem Al-Akeel has changed the game. Keeping with tradition and his signature style, this season Toby presents Toby Femme Paon and Toby Mirage.
Toby has been in the market for some time now and each season presents new styles and garments that represent the creator’s style. Toby’s signature designs comprise crisp clean lines and silhouettes, with soft fabrics best suited to the hot climate of the region, but what makes this year’s designs significant are the integration of both Arab and East Asian styles. This year, Toby presents Toby Femme collection Paon, French for peacock, a majestic, free spirited and strong bird has found its way into the delicate kimono art embroidery.
“Peacocks symbolize freedom, this is what my design ethos is about for women to express their fashion sense freely without limitations,” exclaimed designer Hatem Al-Akeel. He goes on to explain the reasons behind his choice for this season’s designs — his appreciation for Japanese kimonos, the way that the Japanese culture has a strong hold on their traditional dress code such as kimonos, yet they are very much forward in their thinking. The collection celebrates modest dressing without it being an abaya with structured collars/ladles, loose and blowy linens using pastel colors such as periwinkle, light pink, ombre beige, striking royal blue and mustard. The delicate embroidery can be seen on the back of the Toby Femme collection in silver, pearl and different light shades of blue, all adding an elegant touch creating a signature style for Toby.
Toby is a fusion of different traditional garbs taken from Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates with profound presence of East Asian influence. The designs are inspired by different cultures, attentive to the latest in the fashion world and keen on details. “It’s not an abaya line, it’s style and my goal is to cater to both the East and Western worlds united in fashion.”
Since first launching in 2006-2007, Toby has grown significantly and combining a good business insight with creativity helped shape Toby to become what it is today, a household name with a global presence. His garments have been donned by some of the most famous Eastern and Western celebrities.
As previously seen with Toby, this season’s collection is impeccably designed. Mirage by Toby was influenced by the desert oasis and mirage, the line is simple yet masculine; there are the signature structured cuts, deep and light hues of the desert and intricate collar detailing inspired by the Mandarin and Japanese. The blend brings the modern traditional thobe to a worldly standard combined with a traditional flare, international sophistication, all the while glorifying tradition. Toby falls under the school of minimalism but with a rich flare, the cut of a thobe is very important in bringing out that rich flare, suitable for a day look or a night look. Whichever occasion, Toby caters to its customers by using light versatile fabrics that fit the warm climate of the area making his designs stand out from the others.
Al-Akeel is as always hands on with all the designs presented, his keen eye to details has made him one of the top designers of the region. Classic elegance is his signature style and each season, he takes the game up one more notch. Toby is sharp and trendy with smart and perfectly tailored thobes and female garments. He also uses the same concept on Toby Junior, a line especially made for young boys from the age of 4 months and up, the matching thobe collection is the perfect “father and son” combination. The comfortable Italian cotton blend is relaxed enough to run around in and sophisticated enough to wear at family gatherings.
Mirage, Paon and Toby Junior are all currently available at the Toby Boutique located on Al-Amir Sultan Road in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Online orders are also available, each item can be customized according to exact measurements and the website offers worldwide shipping, with free shipping for orders above $500. For more on Toby’s latest line, please visit the website www.tobybyhatem.com

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