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.

I have to be honest

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

How do you relax?

You relax because you have been exposed to some sort of stress whether that be work related, family related, relationship related etc.

So I have to say that I relax by talking to myself and recounting what made me stressed and then talking it out aloud and sometimes writing down how the encounters of stress made me feel so that I can analyze them, solve them, let them go and throw them away.

Unreliable Manufacturers And Production Challenges

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

I really hate to dump on some manufacturers in the footwear industry but I have to say it, many Pakistani and Indian Manufacturers will lie and cheat, over promise and never deliver on the agreement.

The amount of money I spent in the early years on trying out different manufacturers in these countries and the money I lost along with the samples I just had to chalk up as a loss and just resell them as a one off is too much to renumerate. When you are alone with no help or guidance or connections to manufacturers trying to start a shoe brand then it is a trial and error experience and can get quite expensive quickly.

I searched and tried different craftsman in these countries and I got a few samples done right that I liked, but it was not because they were skilled and honest it just turned out for the good on my end which I am truly grateful for.

However the problem I ran into after the design for the Peshwari sandals and Shargiy sandals were completed and ready for production upon acquiring wholesale accounts from shoe vendors, I learned that the shoe maker could not replica the samples or source the leathers that the shoes were created in. Which put me back to square one because what is the point of marketing samples that cannot be reproduced? No use.

In the craftsman’s reasoning which was lead by greed and deceit just to get my money, was that I show the samples take orders for them and deliver whatever leather they have available at the local market which is absolutely absurd.

Quite frankly when you are dealing with crooks and people hungry for money they lie and don’t tell you the truth for fear of missing the sale, when in reality they lose potential long-term business relationships by lying and not delivering on their manufacturing abilities and promises.

I learned my lesson quickly and decided to keep my samples and resell them as one offs since they could not be produced in the color ways they were created in which was sad and a waste of time in my opinion.

These are only a few pictures that I managed to keep of the collection and it still saddens me that I could not launch them at the time of their creation but everything happens for a reason and when it’s supposed to.

To be continued………

XoXo- Style Diversity

Looking At Men’s Sandals In Saudi Inspired The Creation Of Thaqafah

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

So once I got to the states in mid 2013 I continued running my first company Sole Shoe Boutique after putting the shop on pause for two years because of taking a teaching job in Saudi (I’ll explain the purpose of that move in another post) and I got a suggestion from my dear mother to learn how to make my own footwear which I thought was absurd knowing all of the skill and lengthy training involved in learning shoe making.

I kept it in the back of mind however and kept on with business as usual with the online boutique selling other designer’s shoes.

Once 2014 rolled around I started missing Saudi and thought of those beautiful sandals I saw the men wearing, then I said to myself that if I ever created a shoe brand then it would have to have meaning, be unique , and stand out. Then I thought about what I would name the shoe brand if I created one etc.

Finally I decided on the name Thaqafah which means culture after settling on designs that I wanted to start my brand with which were the Pakistani Chappal, and the Saudi Shargiy sandal.

But I had one problem. Where would I find shoe makers to make these shoes and how could  I make them feminine?

After doing much research I found a craftsman in Pakistan who specialized in both the designs and we worked together to settle on the design, leathers, colours and shapes of my first prototype and sample.

This is what we came up with. to be continued………..

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

Cecilia Furlan Handmade

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad
In The Workshop

So I came across this funky hip footwear brand out of Argentina called Cecilia Furlan.

I’ve actually been following them for some time and decided to finally write a post about the brand and share them with you.

Some of the best shoes that I’ve bought and worn in the 90’s were from South America from the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Peru etc. They have some of the best shoe makers and very colorful by culture which goes into their shoes inevitably.

According to the designer the brand was started in 2009 and are thriving in the present with a six person crew which is very impressive.

Here is more from the designer:

HELLO! I AM CECI FURLAN, DESIGNER AND CREATOR OF THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD, MY WORLD …

“After finishing studying textile and clothing design at the University of Córdoba, I began to feel something special about shoes and the need to create those little shoes myself that I imagined, but could not get anywhere.

It was thus that I decided to do a postgraduate degree in Footwear Design and Manufacturing, and finally in 2013 I started the Cecilia Furlan brand. I especially chose my name, precisely to represent those ideas that have been in my head for so long and that continue to inspire me to this day.

From the beginning I wanted our products to be made 100% by hand, through a careful, meticulous and quality process. and with noble materials.

The comfort of the shoe is one of our pillars, and luckily our clients recognize and value it constantly. Quality, comfort and timeless, feminine, and eclectic designs are qualities that have characterized us since our beginnings.

We are a team of 6 people who make all this possible, against all odds, but very happy to achieve it!”

I’m totally a fan of these shoes and I hope you will be as well. So if you would like to purchase some of the shoes then you can visit the site which is in Spanish.

I’m not quite sure if the designer speaks English but there is a WhatsApp icon on the site to contact them directly. Doesn’t hurt to try.

Shop Cecilia Furlan Shoes : http://cecifurlan.com

XoXo,

Style-Diversity

If you don’t know Papucei shoes then you are missing out

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad
Papucei artistic take the combat boot

Papucei shoes are one of the funkiest, free spirited , uniquely quirky footwear brands out there.

I have been a fan of this brand from Romania for quite some time and have been following them for years now.

The color contrasts, funky free designs only those who are unique and comfortable in their own skin will dare to wear, and the overall individuality the designer has in creating their shoes.

Have a look at some of my picks from their recent season collection and judge for yourself.

If you love them as I do then head on over to www.papucei.ro and show them some shoe love.

Xoxo,

Style Diversity

Get Snazzy With Nofux Label Abayas

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

Nofux Label

If you know anything about the Middle East specifically the Gulf region (Kuwait,UAE,Saudi Arabia,Qatar,Bahrain) you would know that the Abaya is the official dress worn by local women in the area.

The Abaya is traditionally a long cloak that is worn open or closed and has so many style variations according to the talented designers who create them.

Here we have a unique blend of Middle Eastern Persian style take on the traditional cloak in whimsical, fun, quirky designs and colour combinations, with a mix of beautiful fabrics unique to this brand.

I have been following the brand for a few years now and had to make a post about it so you would get to know about it to.

You can shop the designers collection on Instagram @nofuxlabel and here.

Stay beautiful and fashionable as can be….

Xoxo,

Style- Diversity

How to be flashy and sassy chic

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

I am a fan of artistic expression in clothing and believe that a woman feels her best when she looks her best.

That being said, I absolutely love this Indian fashion brand I came across called Papa Don’t Preach.

The designer is a London College of Fashion student/graduate who created the Papa don’t preach brand in 2010. She managed to create a fusion between western and eastern culture appealing to both worlds respectively.

Here is a brief history on the designer taken from their Papa Don’t Preach site:

Designer and creative director of Papa Don’t Preach, Shubhika Davda, caught the entrepreneurial bug at a young age. Having made her first business acquisition during her college days at age 19, Shubhika took over a small boutique where she started to explore her passion for fashion. Armed with this invaluable experience and a fashion diploma from London College of Fashion, UK, she eventually launched her own label, Papa Don’t Preach, in 2010.

 Seeking inspiration from music and the arts, her designs are very individualistic, kitschy and effortlessly stylish. Remaining true to her essence, Shubhika’s Indo-western, high-street culture, exaggerated and dramatic design ideologies are immaculately expressed through the medium of clothes and accessories.

Her designs are a juxtaposition of Indian and Western aesthetics aiming to give a new definition to contemporary Indian bridal dressing and vibrant red carpet dressing. Her experimental hand embroidery techniques, quality conscious craftsmanship, inherent need to keep breaking the rules and most importantly her constant endeavour to make her viewer/buyer go “Oooo ! how did you do that! is what according to her keeps her going!

This brand makes me excited and happy looking at all of the embellishments and color patterns used to create these beautiful statement pieces.

If you are ever in Mumbai India and want to take a look in at their flagship store then you will not be disappointed at what you will find and experience there.

The 1200 sq ft Papa Don’t Preach flagship store designed by Design Hex sits in the heart of Mumbai (INDIA) in Lower Parel

Until next time, stay as fashionable, beautiful, and chic as can be.

Xoxo,

Style-Diversity