SPOTLIGHT ON:
Madiyah Al Sharqi is one of the regions hottest designers, we get the low-down on her inspiration for all-things design.
How does your Middle Eastern heritage inspire your collections? It doesn’t directly dictate collections’ design
and aesthetic but the strong sense of innovation and forwardthinking mindset of the Middle East has always guided how the brand functions. What has always kept it grounded to its Middle Eastern roots is the fact that all of our production takes place in the UAE, based out of my atelier in Fujairah. It has been creating the collections since 2012. I’m so proud that we’re able to do that, and to maintain an international standard through local production with a highly skilled team. While we source all of our fabrics from France and Italy, it has always been essential that the pieces are produced in the UAE.
We’re also very grateful to have such an established and consistent market in the Middle East, so it has always been fundamental to consciously tailor our collections to offer options for women who appreciate a high level of sophistication, have very diverse styles and also prefer to dress modestly so the collections are consistently integrated with a range of elevated daytime separates, outerwear, and occasion wear with them in mind.
What was the most valuable lesson you learned whilst you were developing yourself as a designer? I’ve learned that
while it is essential to have consistent pillars that define my brand, it is also important to be perceptive of the changing style needs of my market by challenging myself to try my hand at manipulating fabrics and experimenting with different silhouettes that aren’t normally expected to be paired up with the brand’s signature lace.
That is what’s informed the sort of evolution the brand took a few seasons ago – I stepped away from the eveningwear I was known for and introduced a significant amount of daywear, relaxed silhouettes and new tailoring into our repertoire.
Do you have any childhood memories that are of note?
It played a big role in choosing the career I wanted to pursue. Growing up, I remember my mother working closely with tailors to make bespoke clothes for her. Being surrounded by that made me realise early on that fashion and design was something I wanted to make a profession out of.
What do you find inspires your collections most?
I look to different eras for sources of inspiration, and always find myself gravitating towards the ‘60s and ‘70s, from its art and architecture to prominent female figures of that time. In the past, we’ve reimagined the idea of Marie Antoinette set in different periods of time. This season, I looked to Jacqueline Kennedy and her historic trip to India in 1962 – taking me back to when I visited India myself.
While researching, I was particularly drawn to the articles and photographs that immortalized that iconic trip. Some of my most favourite looks of hers were the ones she wore at that time, so I reimagined a style direction for the collection that combined our shared penchant for pastel hues and mod-inspired silhouettes, and references to traditional Indian dressing by integrating bishop-sleeved tops and dresses with shawls that could be styled multiple ways.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry? I think it’s important to recognise the gap you want
to fill in the market – in an industry that is so saturated, it’s a very defining factor of how brands are set apart and can truly stand out.