It is a well-established fact that the United Arab Emirates is a land of architectural interest, cultural plurality, and a very dynamic entrepreneurial spirit. Another power of creativity is gradually gaining strength over the last ten years: a new generation of designers in the UAE redefines fashion, jewelry, furniture, and aesthetics of the lifestyle. Not only are these creators introducing new dimensions into the local design scene, they are also gaining international accolades on how they can merge the traditional with the modern.

The current Emirati designers are narrators. They tend to be highly topographical: the desert color, the mathematical Turkish art, the pearl diving recollection, or the soft nostalgia of growing up in between those ancient souks and hi-tech skyscrapers. However, their designs also remain a language of the modern global style, which is minimalism, sustainability, innovation, and identity. We herein focus a spot light on some of the Emirati designers who are making a mark in the future of creative expression.

Fouad Sarkis – Craftsmanship in Red Carpet – Regional Glamour

Born into a Lebanese family, Fouad Sarkis has been strongly integrated into the UAE fashion scene that is known to dress celebrities in the Middle East. Through his influence, a number of young Emirati designers have been influenced to venture into high-end couture. His extravagant gowns, with powerful silhouettes, sculptural decoration and rich materials have established a very high standard. Although not Emirati himself, Sarkis, through his work, has demonstrated the UAE as a center of couture talent; and has contributed to the development of the desire of dramatic red-carpet fashions in the region, which has opened the doors to local designers to succeed in the international market.

Huda Al Nuaimi – Cautious Paper and Playful Cultural Blend

Huda Al Nuaimi is an Emirati fashion designer that has gained fast recognition. Having worked in art and design, her art work is distinguished by the unashamedly daring prints, bold color forms, and the modern reinterpretation of the Middle Eastern motifs. Her brand, Nuaimi, proposes clothes and accessories that are young and expressive.

The most interesting aspect of Al Nuaimi is that she is able to blend cultural stories with the vibrancy of pop-art. Numerous items draw their inspiration to Emirati culture such as henna design or traditional jewelry silhouettes, yet in a new, stylish style. The outcome is attainable opulence: items that will have everyone talking but not burden the wearer. Al Nuaimi is a generation that does not view tradition as a restraint, but as a rich visual treasure trove.

Hamda Al Fahim – The Newcomer in the World of Couture

In case there is a couture genius in UAE, it is no less than Hamda Al Fahim, whose creations have been placed on runways and red carpets across Abu Dhabi to Hollywood. Al Fahim is reputed to be very precise in embroidery, sculpture-like draping, and airy silhouettes, thus, providing a very artistic approach to evening dresses.

Her gowns often feature:

• floral appliques which are three dimensional.
• hand-painted fabrics
• delicate crystal work
• fluid, feminine shapes

The unique aspect of her character is her commitment to craftsmanship. Every piece is more a wearable art piece, grounded not on the fashion trends of the mass-market but on an appreciation of the art and the craft of couture. The example of Al Fahim work makes the Emirati fashion a realm of world fashion, demonstrating that local designers can compete in terms of global fashion.

Furniture Design Khalid Shafar – Furniture Design with an Emirati Soul

Although fashion receives a lion share of the attention, the UAE is also developing outstanding product and furniture designers. One of the most influential is the design of Khalid Shafar whose designs are based on the Emirati rituals, architecture and nature.

Shafar is the author of the following works:

• the Arabi Chair, a combination of modern design and local beauty.
• furniture based on the areesh, houses traditionally made of palm-fronds.
• works that rebrand the classic Emirati weaving processes.

His work is characterized by a silent beauty and it goes to show that culture is not only told through clothing but also as everyday objects that surround our residences. The minimalist forms of Shafar are given an emotional dimension by his philosophy in design, which states that he should not design something without a memory.

Aljoud Lootah – Geometry Marriage With Modern Craft

Aljoud Lootah is another outstanding representative of furniture and product design whose work is a glorification of Islamic art geometry and is viewed through a modern prism. She is credited with playing around with structure and symmetry, and making the designs look complicated but functional and genteel.

Her collections have a tendency of using such materials as marble, leather and wood that are placed in new forms. The beauty of mathematical reiteration can be emphasized in Lootah works – whether it is a sculptural mirror, a geometrical lamp, or an artisan home item. And her style is modern, but there is a strong basis on the artistic background of the region.Lootah shows that Emirati design has no boundaries, it is not just fashion, but a multi-disciplinary dialogue, inspired by the past and empowered by experimentation.

Azza Al Qubaisi – The Jewellery Designer of Emirati

Azza Al Qubaisi is the first jewelry artist in UAE and has transformed the perception of the jewelry within the cultural context. Most of her works incorporate local materials found in the UAE, including palm leaves, sand or domestic metals and turn the scenery around her into jewelry.

Her works address issues like:

• the importance of falconry.
• the relationship between the land and the identity.
• the craft of traditional geometry.
• the allegory of the flora and fauna of the desert.

This artistic style of Al Qubaisi has served to make the Emirati jewelry design a serious and sophisticated craft, rather than an accessory industry. Her works tend to look like heirlooms, associating the forebears of the wearer with Emirati history.

Yasmin Al Mulla – Minimalism in the spirit of the contemporary Emirati spirit

Designer and creative director Yasmin Al Mulla can be characterized by her clean lines, modest shapes, and consideration of fabrics. Her label, Yasmin Al Mulla, frequently alludes to cultural heritage in minor details- such as classic folds, loose fabrics or deserts-like soft muted colors.The thing that makes the work of Al Mulla sound is her dedication to her fine simplicity. She provides a different approach to the heavily-adorned regional fashion and adopts a more minimalist style that would attract an audience worldwide. Through her designs, she brings out the manner in which the Emirati women of nowadays are showing elegance: assured, discreet, and purposeful.

An Innovative Trend that defines the Future of the UAE

Although these designers are varied in terms of their mediums, they are connected in the fact that they are strongly committed to tradition but at the same time have a vision of the future. It can be either the geometry of furniture, the floating curves of the couture, or the aggressive strokes of modern print design, but Emirati creativity is quickly getting known abroad.

The designers in the UAE are perfectly placed to pioneer as the global audiences demand authenticity and cultural richness in their food. Their work reflects the spirit of a nation that respects its history and aims at the future – ambitious, innovative, and perfectly based on the identity.

The new generation of Emirati designers is not merely creating fashion or items, but they are forging a culture. And the world is watching as they go on and on and on-a book, a film, a creative breakthrough here and there.