Image: Fall / Winter 2018 by Maya, Credit: Maya, Student work from DIDI, Amal Alsuwaidi, Studio project The Forever Shirt: a gender neutral shirt design created utilizing home grown kombucha leather and linen, Credit: Amal Studio
Noorin Khamisani, a fashion educator based in Dubai, points out that previous attempts of the West trying to engage with the East through releasing so-called ‘modest’ collections simply didn’t go far enough. Rather than simply trying to cater for an Arab market, brands should be actively listening to perspectives outside of their own sphere in order to grow.
“For once, western brands should learn from the Middle East and let them lead the conversation and not the other way around,” said Khamisani. “Young creatives need to be supported into the industry of sustainable fashion if we want to see more diverse designers in the Arab region. There is a strong creative scene here and we need the West to start listening and engage with us.”
“Misrepresenting consumer opinion and not having a clear idea of the movements happening in each individual Arab country can become a recipe for disaster,” she added. “There is a risk of making sustainability not suitable for people in the East.”
While fashion industry needs to work on diversity and representation, this work needs to involve actively incorporating perspectives and creativity from other cultures, as well as being situation specific.
Arabs do care about sustainability and they need to be included in this conversation as well.