Dubai Design Week 2023

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

See art and design come alive at the region’s largest creative festival, Dubai Design Week from 7-12 November. Embracing Dubai’s position as the design capital of the Middle East, this annual event curates inventive showcases representing architecture, products, furniture and interior design.

Immersive, insightful and inspiring, Dubai Design Week demonstrates not only the breadth of regional talent but also invites international studios and artists to share their ingenuity with local communities. A must-attend feature of this festival is the leading trade fair Downtown Design, where brands from near and far showcase limited edition creations, which will be at the d3 waterfront. You can also see the future of creative study on display at the Global Grad Show, which shines a spotlight on works from 100 of the most innovative universities in the world.



Overview
Dubai Design District (d3)
Dubai Design District – Dubai

http://www.dubaidesignweek.ae/
+971 4 563 1400
#Arts & Culture #Galleries & Exhibitions #Leisure events

Shoe Brand Awareness In Dubai

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

UAE is a growing and developing nation in varying sectors including the fashion and footwear sectors.

I noticed that after attending many fashion events or expos here that there was always a small amount of footwear vendors scattered about in the event space which didn’t draw that much attention from the visitors.

The well known APLF leather exhibition https://www.aplf.com/2023/03/30/aplf-24-to-return-to-hong-kong-home-base/
hosted their yearly trade fair here in Dubai in March for the first time but will return to it’s home in Hong Kong for it’s regular scheduled events

I would suggest any new footwear brand trying to break into the UAE industry must do serious ground work to let the local community get to know you because the lack of multi brand footwear shops and vendors makes it difficult to gain accounts in this region if you are a new brand unless you secure an account with the known chain department stores.

Otherwise you have to make a pretty big name for yourself in order to gain interest in your brand and get locals to buy from you due to brand awareness and not simply on the basis of your design, style and diversity.

I believe that the UAE and Mena area in general will eventually develop an actual footwear industry where local talent will be recognised, and more multi brand footwear shops will open with growing knowledge of shoes, industry, diversity etc by the local market.

There is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs who have a love of shoes to create businesses that sell exclusive footwear from individual brands in their shops, but what must be present from the local market is interest, knowledge,  sense of diverse style, awareness of international talent apart from luxury or mainstream brands etc.

There are challenges for every market that you enter, but when trying to break into a developing nation who’s local market are not familiar nor accustomed to buying a brand just for it’s style and talent nor is there a multitude of local multi brand vendors willing to house them then that presents a huge disadvantage for the new designer brand trying to get discovered.

These are pictures from footwear trading in the west, where shoe shop owners come out to find new designers to house in their boutiques, department stores, atliers etc…

The designers typically set up their stalls, and gain accounts with vendors from all over the world who want to carry their shoes and introduce the brand to their customer base.

Starting My Style Blog And Where I Am Now

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

So let me start by thanking all of you who have subscribed to the blog and followed us all of these years.

I am from the United States and started this blog in 2013 while working as an English instructor in Saudi Arabia just before ending my contract at the school I was working at in Riyadh. At the time I was creating my new journey and path towards getting settled in the middle east through establishing my own business which brings me to my current position.

Teaching Saudi Students

If you’ve been here from the beginning then you’ll know that I mentioned that my love of shoes brought me to start this blog in the first place, and my determination to find unique footwear brands from around the globe to showcase them here on Style Diversity.

You will also remember that I would periodically post shoes for sale that linked to an online boutique that I owned called Sole Shoe Boutique that I started in 2006 which is now dissolved since 2019.

I also announced the making of my own shoe brand that I created called Thaqafah Shoes (Google me) that I periodically posted designs from on the blog. This was happening while I was suffering from an autoimmune disease for 17 years, raising my children, moving from country to country, starting a new life in the UAE and trying to expand the business here to finally getting settled making the UAE our final destination to build our lives in.

Thaqafah Shoes Images On Google

I had absolutely no help at all despite being married. But I’m a fighter , very goal driven and came a very long way under almost impossible circumstances.

I kept my businesses online and mobile because of my semi nomad lifestyle which worked well for me and what I was trying to do.

I’m now in a position where I got rid of dead weight (if you know what I mean) am settled and ready to take my career to new heights.

I haven’t posted much here over the past couple of years because of everything I just mentioned above however I was consistent with posting pics on our social media page @Stylediversity_Khaleej and we managed to gain over 20,000 followers on the page.

Style Diversity Instagram Page

I plan to share more of my journey with you all on the blog along with news about Thaqafah and the progress and challenges that come along with entering a new market, since most of my customers are based in the USA , Canada and Europe.

So stay tuned for more style posts, fashion news , and more from the middle eastern designers and talent from the local area.

XoXo- Style Diversity

London Fashion week Fall 2018

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

LONDON FASHION WEEK

LOCATED AT THE STORE STUDIOS, 180 STRAND, THE DESIGNER SHOWROOMS IS HOME TO OVER 150 BRITISH AND INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS. PRESENTED WITHIN IS A RICH AND DIVERSE SELECTION OF PRODUCTS IN A HIGHLY CURATED SHOWROOM. SHOWCASING AT LONDON FASHION WEEK RAISES THE PROFILE OF BRANDS AS PART OF LONDON FASHION WEEK’S EDIT OF WHAT TO SEE.

DATES

14th – 18th September 2018

LOCATION

The Store Studios at 180 Strand, London WC2R 1EA

ABOUT

The international element of the showrooms illustrates that the doors to London are truly open, with designers showcasing from Dubai, Finland and South Korea. The pull of London on a global scale is undeniable. The UK continues to be an attractive and fertile home for an array of designer businesses of any size.

Of the four fashion capitals, London is the only city that hosts the Designer Showrooms in the same venue as the official British Fashion Council (BFC) Show and Presentation Space. The LFW Designer Showrooms have launched many global brands, including a number of on-schedule designers.

Showcasing in the highly curated Designer Showrooms allows brands to develop relationships with globally influential stores and helps to increase their exposure to top international journalists, publications and stylists. In addition to this, designers will also gain access to seasonal press and buyer accreditation lists and access to the BFC’s Designer Support programme, which includes one-to-one business advice and seminars.

For more information please visit the website Here.

Xoxo,

Style-Diversity

GUCCI TAKES A STAND AGAINST ANIMAL FUR

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

It’s the latest in a growing group of luxury brands to make the fur-free commitment

 

 

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Hold onto your fur-lined Gucci loafers (if you’re still wearing those): The maximalist, Italian luxury label headed up by Alessandro Michele is the latest company to announce a commitment to going fur-free.

Gucci CEO Marco Bizarri made the announcement during the 2017 Kering Talk at The London College of Fashion on Wednesday, and the Humane Society followed up with a joint press release alongside the fashion brand and the Fur Free Alliance — a coalition of more than 40 animal protection organizations working together to end the fur trade. The brand will cease releasing fur product beginning with its spring 2018 collection and will continue to be supported by the Humane Society of the U.S. and LAV in “identifying and reducing its impact on animals and the environment.”

To be clear, the definition of “animal fur” by which Gucci is subscribing means “any animal skin, or part thereof, with hair or fur fibers attached thereto, either in its raw or processed state or the pelt of any animal killed for the animal’s fur.” That means mink, fox, rabbit, karakul lamb and raccoon dog are off limits, while lamb, goat and alpaca can still be used.

“Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals,” said Bizarri. “With the help of HSUS and LAV, Gucci is excited to take this next step and hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better.”

“Gucci’s new fur free policy marks a game-changer for the whole luxury fashion industry to follow,” added Joh Vinding.

Indeed, it’s a pretty big announcement for Gucci, whose creative director has incorporated statement-making, dyed and printed fur pieces into his collections — even for spring and resort — since joining the house in 2015. (Gucci, of course, used fur before that as well.) Right now, no less than eight mink fur coats can be found on the brand’s website, and that’s to make no mention of the brand’s ubiquitous fur-lined loafer mules. The brand landed itself in hot water with PETA over its use of kangaroo fur in the popular shoe style, which has likely been a big moneymaker for the brand. In 2015, not long after the style was introduced, Kering defended its use of kangaroo, issuing a statement to Quartz claiming that it “can be classified under our guidelines as a sustainable fur.” While a few loafers are still labeled as kangaroo fur online, a rep for Gucci confirmed that they will all be made with lamb going forward.

According to a separate press release from Gucci, the brand will be auctioning off remaining fur items with proceeds benefitting LAV and the Humane Society.

Gucci is the latest in a string of luxury brands to make commitments to going fur-free: There’s fellow Kering-owned label Stella McCartney, as well as Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and, on the retail side, Yoox Net-a-Porter Group. We would not be surprised to see fellow members of Kering’s portfolio joining them in the near future given the conglomerate’s well-publicized commitment to sustainability.

 

Re-blogged from http://www.fashionista.com

 

 

Keffiyeh Fashion

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

I came accross this beautiful top by just scrolling through instagram earlier this afternoon, and the top happened to be made from the famouse Palestinian keffiyeh fabric. The fabric is usually used to make scarves, that the military men wear, and religious men from the Muslim world wear. But somewhere down the line someone had a genius idea to make this beautiful scarf fabric into clothing.

Namely a new emerging brand called: Cecilie Copenhagen 

 Edit

  

Well, we had to put our two cents in by jumping on board to assemble some keffiyeh threads of our own, with a twist. The fabric is so chic and unique, that the style pair ups are endless. 

Have a look at what we put together: 

  

Paired with some leather barefoot shoes.

  

   

  

 

Stand apart from the crowd with Shargiy sandals by Thaqafah

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

If you love the Middle East , or just plain funk in your style, then feast your eyes on our madas Shargiy sandals , created especially for Thaqafah shoes……….make a statement, standout, be unique

https://www.etsy.com/…/handmade-sandals-pink-patent-leather…

   

  

  

  

     

Styling with Peshawaris, colorful cultural…….

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

Hey everyone, take a look at the up an coming models from our Peshawari collection for Thaqafah.

We also threw some pics together to give ideas on how to wear your peshis for Spring /Summer 2015.

Tell us your thoughts, and by all means request a pre-order before they arrive and sell out……… 

               

Who’s down for a pair of fly leather socks?

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

We will be featuring the most fabulous leather socks on the market this coming Spring Summer season to join our Thaqafah collection.

Leather socks are comfortable and wisks away sweat in your feet as you wear them.

Leather socks have been worn for centuries if not thousands of years, by nations throughout history. The Japanese leather socks are called Tabi and the Arab or “Muslim” leather socks are called khuffs (sock in Arabic ).

If you are into earthing, minimalism,comfortability, or just down right fashion, then our socks will be perfect for you. They have made their way on the runways of Milan and now they will be available for all who would like to sport them.

They will be featured in an array of colors and styles throughout the seasons. They can be worn indoor or outdoors, depending on surface (I wouldn’t recommend rock climbing in them).

Follow us to be notified when purchase will be available, and feel free to ask any questions concerning this new collection of socks.

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Xoxo,
Ruqayyah

Peshawaris for ladies just for Thaqafah

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

So we finally got the design worked out for the peshawari sandals. I didn’t share this before, but the first pair of peshawaris that were constructed were square at the toe and they looked too manly.

For those who don’t know, these sandals are worn by men in India and Pakistan, but for the first time they have been styled for women in a feminine way.

Others have tried, but the sandals still have that square toe that makes it look exactly the men’s sandals.

Our collection will come in a pleasant array of colors and beautiful stitching, and will be ready for purchase as soon as they arrive.

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Final design…..

Tell us what you think ladies and gents, and it will be greatly appreciated

Original design

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