Download Issue 6 - BinHendi

Style
“
What
Strapline
we want to see, is women wearing their abbayas right,” says Hind
Beljafla, before explaining that, “you see more and more ladies
wearing their special occasion abbayas to the shopping mall! Our
designs are very creative, and sometimes include fitted cuts or
sheer fabrics. It is not appropriate in our culture and religion to
wear these things in general public. They should be kept for the
right occasions.”
Such occasions might include important family events such as
weddings, but whatever the reason, Hind’s designs, created with
older sister Reem, add a certain flair to traditional clothing. Their
label is called DAS, which refers to three different types of abbaya
– the daffa, abba and suwaieye. Traditionally, daffas were made
from wool and worn during winter, the abba would be made
from silk and used as formalwear, and the suwaieya is a more
decorative design, with borders imbued with colour and intricate
patterns. Older sister Reem began the company, following a
period of training as an interior designer in London. Her
entrepreneurial nous saw her crowned Business Woman of the
Year 2007, and DAS named Best Design Business in the
Mohammed bin Rashid Awards for Young Business Leaders.
“I have always been fascinated in design, whether it be interior,
graphic or fashion,” she says, “and with the help and support of
my family, I was able to make my dream a reality, and start my
own fashion line.”
As is so often the case with successful companies, DAS sprang
out of a personal passion, when Reem took her experience at
London’s famous St Martin’s College and began creating abbayas
for herself and her sisters. “At weddings and other events,
women would come up to me and ask where I bought my
Abaya,” she says. “Which got me thinking that there could be a
market in the Middle East for my style of design, which revolves
around the concept of making this traditional garment modern.
It is difficult to create something on a par with what I see and
buy from the top international designers, and I have many
friends who feel the same, so I have come up with a range that
offers an alternative.”
The two sisters scour the world for suitable inspiration and
materials, and carefully follow international trends. “Just like
overseas designers who change their collections from season to
season, our designs change with the international trends,” says
Reem. “The fabrics used have also changed throughout the
years. Some European factories have started to produce fabrics
that are very light and delicate, which enable women to wear
them with ease. The choices of the shayla now vary in design,
materials and colours, while in the old days they were limited to
four types.”
Her designs are a happy marriage of the modern and the
traditional. The abbaya, with its layering and fluid, gently
flowing curves, is a naturally feminine item, but DAS
designs add a more invigorating dynamism and flair. “Here
at DAS Collection,” explains Reem, “we have built on our
culture and identity to create pieces that reflect our roots
but remain in line with the direction that fashion is taking
in the 21st century. Modernity is a state of mind more than
physical appearance and our pieces reflect this.”
The girls’ eye for high style is very much a family trait,
and Reem has always been inspired by her mother. “She
would attend fashion shows around the year in Europe,
and would always be inspired by them,” she says. “As a
young girl, one of my fondest memories was watching her
12
Bin Hendi