Designer dreams

CREATIVE Maha Alqassab travels around the region staging fashion courses and now has designs on launching her own training company as she prepares to unveil a new Ramadan Collection and a  ‘classic edgy’ Capsule Collection in Europe, writes Mai Al Khatib-Camille.

The 28-year-old Bahraini, who has her own contemporary traditional wear label called MAW, has been working with training centres around the GCC since May last year to inspire and help create a more educated fashion community.

Maha, who lives in Saar, said: “I aim to use my experience and show young enthusiasts the right steps to follow in design to help them succeed in what is a highly-competitive marketplace.

“I also want to change how many people view the fashion sector as only ‘a hobby’ when in fact it can be such a fulfilling career. 

“Knowledge is power and education is essential. I’m currently working on creating my own fashion training company in Bahrain. My main goal is to help designers expand their skills and knowledge so that they are better able to enter the international fashion market with confidence.”

Maha has been passionate about fashion since she was a young child assisting her mother, Badriya Alhassar, a renowned designer in her own right who specialises in creating wedding gowns. 

“My mum inspired me to follow in her footsteps,” said Maha. “I was also motivated by watching music videos and seeing the outfits that celebrities wore because they were rarely items you would see every day.

“Fashion is art for me, when I design I feel free and create things from my emotions. It’s the only time when I forget about everything going on in the world and focus on one thing. I also feel inspired by vintage garments and I love ‘deconstructing’ them. I appreciate them more because each one has its own story.

“I love creating clothes for myself and I’m my own muse. I would say my style is aimed at the strong but feminine woman. I love dressing up in a cool way which shows that I am strong. However, it shows that I’m feminine too. I would call my style ‘classic edgy’.”

Although Maha’s passion is fully focussed on fashion and design, she started out pursuing a career in business excellence after studying marketing at the UK’s University of Glamorgan in Wales. She returned to Bahrain to take up a post as a marketer at the luxury retail group. However, the dream of launching her own fashion line as well as running training courses proved too strong.

“Chalhoub Group in Bahrain is such an amazing company and I gained a lot of experience working there,” Maha explained. “However, I still wanted to follow my passion and finally did what I had dreamed of ever since I was a little girl.”

Maha went back to the drawing board and completed her Masters in Collection Design at Polimoda, a leading fashion school in Florence. During her studies in Italy, she thought of putting her new found knowledge and skills to good use by sharing what she learned with the hopes of nourishing new designers.

“Entering fashion school was such an amazing feeling that I’ll never forget and it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made,” she said.

Her business background helped when she decided to introduce short courses to the region and create workshops that would implement a European process while utilising materials that fit within Arabian culture.

“I provide instructors who have worked with famous fashion houses in Europe to share their experiences with students and practice techniques and new methods with them,” she explained. “Of course, like any other field, fashion is growing very fast and there are always new things to learn.

“During these workshops I help each designer find his or her own brand identity DNA. This is something that needs to be developed. Designers have to have a strong message behind their designs and something that makes them special.”

Her ambition to see up a fashion training company appears to be an obvious next step. “It wouldn’t just be for individuals,” she explained, “it would also be for retailers, from small boutiques to large department stores.”

There would be an opportunity to provide training for staff members from learning about visual merchandising to dealing with ‘personal shopping’ clients.

Maha competed in the Project Runway Middle East Season 2 fashion industry series on the regional TV network MBC4. She explained: “It was an amazing experience and meeting top Lebanese designer Elie Saab, who is one of the show’s producers and judges, was the highlight. Meeting the other participants and sharing our talents together was such a great experience.”

Maha has already conducted more than nine courses within the GCC as well as working as a freelancer, partnering with companies on design projects and consulting on new upcoming brands.

And as she prepares her own Ramadan Line that will be available for sale at Meemo Space in Al Aali Shopping Complex, she is also excited about the Capsule Collection which will be launched exclusively in Europe.

She said: “The Capsule Collection is all about self-love and acceptance. It has some pieces with embroidered text and some pieces with printed images of my own creation. The main symbol is a heart with two hands which represents the concept. I have it embroidered and printed on fabric.

“It has oversized blazers, flared and loose trousers, skirts, summer dresses, night dresses and casual tops with frayed edges … the latter again going back to the concept of ‘accepting your imperfections’.”

The launch will be on an ‘island in Europe’ with further details to be announced shortly. “I’m finalising details as I have two boutiques that I’m negotiating with at the moment and, once it’s confirmed, I will reveal all,” she said.

Maha’s MAW Collection is currently sold at Vogue’s Be Inspired Boutique in Seef Mall. Her latest offerings are ready and on sale this month and the brand’s distinctive DNA includes the colour pink, ruffles, French seams on the outside, contrast stitching and the use of lace in contemporary cuts.

For more information, check out her social media account on Instagram @mahawyyy and @mawcollection or call 37727277.