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Blending tradition of the Arab world with the new trends of modern fashion, Bahraini Walla Al Alawi is aiming to reach for the stars with her unique abaya designs.
An ardent fan of the fashion scenes in London, Milan, Paris and New York, the 29-year-old mother-of-two dreams of having her own shows at the fashion destinations to showcase Arab culture.
Walla said: "One can be fashion conscious as well as conservative. I wanted to base my identity on creating traditional wear which is also trendy, stylish and fashionable."
The designer recently held an exclusive launch of her ready-to-wear and made-to-measure collection at the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Bahrain City Centre.
Based on the theme 'Royal Crown', the Walla range was an amalgamation of Arabian elegance and modern styling.
It featured 18 designs in chiffon, jersey and lace. The fabric was complemented with rich embroidery, beadwork and crystals in vibrant shades of magenta, royal blue, fuchsia, turquoise and black.
Walla, from Budaiya, said: "The response was really encouraging. It has been a stressful period trying to manage both work and children at home."
Walla range was first launched at the Dubai Fashion Show in 2001 during the same year she decided to launch her label in Bahrain.
Walla pursued her degree in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing from the American University in London where she also held her first fashion show. Walla said: "My thesis at university was on re-creating traditional abayas called 'underneath the veil'.
"I tried to explain how the West interprets the concept of the veil as well as explain that as traditional as it is, at the same time it is also fashionable and modern."
Once back in the kingdom she began creating abayas for her own wardrobe and it wasn't long before women in the community began showing an increasing interests in her unique designs.
She said: "Ladies started inquiring where I got my abayas from. Once I told them they were my own I started receiving a lot of interest and orders.
"Also, while travelling around in the UK and other places in Europe, Arab women would come up to me and enquire about my dresses."
Ladies from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE as well as Bahrain soon started signing up for her creations and by summer 2002 she boasted a 30-strong clientele list.
From a humble start-up team of one tailor and herself, Walla today prides over a workforce of 16, with six tailors.
While she designs all her work at home, she has rented out a workshop in Milan, Italy, where the finishing of all her creations is done to match international standards.
Two years ago, she introduced a ready-to-wear range of clothing including skirts, dresses, tops and pants that features in her store Celebrity Corner at the Al A'ali Shopping complex.
In 2004, when she married, she created her own white wedding gown with French white lace and hand-embroidery.
She said: "I was a beginner then and at the time it was the perfect gown. But now when I look at it I come up with these ideas that I could have used on it."
Walla's inspiration to enter the world of glamour was the outcome of her travels around fashion cities with her father. She said: "He appreciated brands very much and would always take us shopping to really big names such as Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani or Chanel."
Walla aims to expand her brand and continue to work towards becoming a well-established name for offering quality garments with a conservative touch in the world of global fashion.
