DUBAI: Saudi designer Arwa Al-Banawi recently released her 2019 Ramadan collection and it’s refreshingly edgy and urban — the ideal choice for a hipster-inspired iftar.
Having grown up between Jeddah and Switzerland, and now based in Dubai, the designer’s jet set upbringing is evident in her eclectic style.
Al-Banawi began her journey into fashion as a fashion and lifestyle blogger from her hometown of Jeddah. On moving to Dubai in 2012 she took up a career in banking while studying fashion design with the London College of Fashion. On realizing her true passion lay in design, she decided to launch her debut collection of ready-to-wear suits and shirts in 2015.
Fast-forward to 2019 and her Ramadan collection is one for the books, with roughly woven textures and sportswear-inspired stripes.
From oversized, hooded coats with heavy streetwear influence, to minimalist kaftans in washed-out ruby red and Princess Jasmine blue with gold borders, the collection is young and fresh — exactly what Al-Banawai has become famous for.
Al-Banawi’s Ramadan collection is offered up as the antithesis to the traditional, exaggeratedly feminine attire spotted in boutiques throughout the Holy Month.
Her models show off the uber cool looks while wearing white trainers, marrying comfort with urban style.
The Dubai-based designer, who welcomed Will Smith to her showroom earlier this year, was named as the best regional designer at the 12th annual Grazia Style Awards in Dubai last week.
She took to social media to thank people “for believing in me.”
“Four years ago, I launched a ready-to-wear brand that will give a voice to strong women who inspire me, women I want to dress and I aspire to, celebrating my heritage and my love for sharp dressing. I’m extremely humbled and honored by this moment,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of her receiving the award.
She also gave a shout out to her mother: “(To) my mom, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for being my rock all of those years and for your fashionable, stylish genes.”
