Women's Fashion

September - October, 2017

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The Cassandra Effect

MARVEL OF COLORS
The Desert Rose
 Lookout Qatar Page 35
Inside the original palace of Sheikh
Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani at
National Museum of Qatar.

16 This and That

Richard Mille launches two new watches;
Ulysse Nardin's new collection; Van Cleef &
Arpels broadens The Lucky Charm

Arena Qatar
collection; MIA opens Islamic Arms and
Armour" exhibition; and more.

18 Market Report
Ease into falls chilly winds with modest
yet sharp tailoring. 35 In Design
By Debrina Aliyah Inspired by the desert rose, the imminent
National Museum of Qatar evokes the
past, present and future of Qatar.

Quality Qatar
By Ola Diab

20 On Color
A designers debut foray is a modern take
on a retro legacy.
By Debrina Aliyah

22 On The Verge
In a market landscape where brands clamor
to increase revenues by being jacks of all
trades, Ammara Yaqub finds her niche in
being the master of one.
By Debrina Aliyah

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Copyright 2017 The New York Times 11

 On Color

Marvel of Colors
A designers debut foray is a
modern take on a retro legacy.
BY DEBRINA ALIYAH

PINEAPPLES, parrots and palm trees pointedly reference one
sentimental timeframe in the design archives the bright, lazy
summer days of the glorious '50s and '60s. The tropical innuendos
were both subtly and unabashedly present across fashion, home dcor
stones presented as bejeweled toucans, shimmering starfishes and
flamboyant watermelons. Ostas work has a distinct air of vintage
style and escapism. Cheeky in execution yet exuding old-school
glamor, these are attention-grabbing accessories that are meant to be
PICTURES COURTESY: ELSA OSTA

and interiors in a way that has since been cultishly immortalized as
little novelty objects throughout the decades. It is bright and happy,
evoking a carefree perspective that appeals to a certain free-spirited
THE CREATIONS personality, like Lebanese designer Elsa Osta.
Osta's creative family In her newly minted accessories label, Elsa O, Osta draws from her
and background
fostered her love for
love for this timeframe of tropical happiness. What transpires is a
jewellery creation. delightfully colorful and bold collection of crystals, pearls, tassels and
worn as focus pieces. Handcrafted by artisans in her home country of
Lebanon, the pieces give life to Ostas obsession with colors. I hardly
ever wear black. Strong colors have always attracted me and my
designs truly reflect this part of me, the designer says.
Preceding the colors, attention to detail encapsulates the designers
personal style and work. Details in all forms, big or small, shape Ostas
different sources of inspiration. From Ek Thongprasert, the

20 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine

 showstoppers bring out the love for
statement pieces; from Les Nrides,
the refined details give twist to simple
pieces, while from Nach Bijoux, the use of
porcelain dictates a sense of unexpected. Going through
different jewelry pieces, Osta found herself most drawn to the brooches
because of their versatility. Brooches and definitely earrings. I never
leave home without a pair of earrings, she quips. Sometimes my
mood calls for a fully accessorized look, and other days I only wear my
heart ring which never leaves my finger and a pair of pearl earrings I
have had since I was 12.
The intimate knowledge of the '50s and the '60s was cultivated
through her familys influence. It all started when my grandmother
gave me one of her vintage brooches, thats when collecting jewelry
became a passion, she reminisces. Her mother, the Lebanese actress
Gisele Aouad, is an artistic woman who deepened Ostas love for jewelry.
I used to sit next to her and watch while she drew, created new garments
and revamped old ones. She has really good taste. I loved watching her
when she was getting ready to go out. My favorite part was when she
went through her jewelry box to find the perfect piece to match her outfit.
Theres something special about the sensory experience of the clinking
sounds of jewelry and the multitude of colors in the box, Osta recalls.
Aouads strong stylistic presence has also played a role in mapping
Ostas brothers career as a fashion designer. Assad Osta is the co- in sculpted gowns. As creative kids, we used to always dream
founder of the Beirut-based couture brand Azzi & Osta that specializes about going into design and seeing our own creations come to life
one day. As my older brother, he really inspired and encouraged
me to never give up, we have an attraction to similar ambitions
and aesthetics! says Osta.
Osta had initially pursued a degree in interior design that paved
the road to learning about the fundamentals of design and the
power of objects to communicate meaning to the viewer. In 2012,
she took on an opportunity in Paris to work with Swarovski which
returned her to the jewels that had colored her youth. In Europe,
the designer embraced the rich history and architecture marvels
of the region which sparked her fire to imagine her own designs.
Now back in Beirut, Osta thrives on the vibrancy of the city that
seems to give off life in even the smallest details. Sometimes it
becomes very hectic and when I need to take a break from it all, I
find myself on a plane heading to a new destination to seek a new
adventure. This always helps to give new perspective but I always
come back home and dig again into that very chaotic paradise.

LET IT POP
The collection
beams in pop
colors that
references both
the reto and the
contemporary.

September - October 2017 21

Quality Qatar
On The Verge
Master of One
In a market landscape where brands clamour to
increase revenues by being jacks of all trades, Ammara
Yaqub finds her niche in being the master of one.
BY DEBRINA ALIYAH
A HARVARD MBA-WIELDING FASHION DESIGNER is
probably one of the least likely types you might come
across, but the academic framework might have been the
catalyst to Ammara Yaqubs foresight on fashions evolving
market rules. The fashion calendar is broken furs ship in
August and chiffons ship in January and the customer has
become trained to wait for sales, she says. After a brief but
successful stint as a full collection concept, the designer
turned her eponymous brand into a mono-category offer-
ing, mastering the art of the perfect shirt.
The move is both a reaction to the evolving consumer
needs and a return to the designers own style sensibilities.
I would design coats and dresses and then design a shirt to
fill in the holes and being that I am almost exclusively a
jeans and top person, it seemed inauthentic, she says of her
previous venture. Noticing a gap for well-made and afford-
TOPS UP able tops, Yaqub made the decision to focus exclusively on
The sanger cape producing quality shirts, an often overlooked staple in the
top and the
Ginsberg top with
wardrobe of the modern women. The white shirt has al-
flared sleeves. ways been the perfect mix of modern and timeless, feminine
22 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine
and androgynous. There is a sharpness that it adds to an outfit
and I like nothing more than a beautifully tailored white shirt
tucked into a beautiful trouser! Refined au courant design aes-
thetic that is both modern and timeless form the bedrock of her
pieces, giving them a versatile and dependable role in the mod-
ern womens style arsenal.
By adopting a different business model in going straight to
the consumer, Yaqub removed the retail mark-up element that
has long been an unspoken bane in the complicated wholesale
chain ingrained in the fashion industry. The decision afforded
her the freedom to seek out the best fabrics to construct her
PICTURES COURTESY: AMMARA YAQUB
pieces without inflating the retail price. I curate the most luxu-
rious fabrics and produce every shirt in New York at the same
factories that produce top America designer labels, she ex-
plains. I get countless calls from boutiques to wholesale my
shirts and it is very tempting at times to take on a lucrative or-
der. But the new Yaqub is all about providing women superior
quality for the price.
The alternative business approach is of course made possible
by the growing prowess of e-commerce. Initially shipping only
 ALL THE DETAILS
Clockwise from top
left: The bestselling
Bell top in stripes;
white pony hair
detailing on the
Peron top; the
oversized cuffs on
the signature Carson
shirt.

to the United States, the brand now has a global following that reaches to Aus-
tralia. While Yaqub may not provide the traditional sensory experience of
touching and trying on a new piece for the first time, it is however benefitting
from the rise of social media and the market of women who increasingly shop
online with less time to physically be in stores. We have close to 10,000 follow-
ers on Instagram and it drives a tremendous amount of traffic to our site.
E-commerce, particularly when managed by a brand, provides us a unique
opportunity to tell our story in the way that it is meant to be, the designer
comments.

'The collection pays tribute to each

individuals own version of America.'
Debuting with twelve designs ranging from the traditional white shirt to a
backless silk halter top, new styles are launched throughout the year. Most re-
cently, the brand released a series of modern designs in a subtle color palette of
the American flag including a playful asymmetric one-sleeve ruffle top, a
V-neck blouse with bell sleeves and a crop top made of custom macram lace
stars. The new designs were launched in partnership with non-profit Running
Start to promote female leadership, a cause close to the designers heart. The
collection pays tribute to each individuals own version of America, she says.
Running Start is a nonpartisan organization that has given over 12,000 young
women the skills and inspiration necessary to run and win since its inception
12 years ago. Yacub herself is a symbol of female empowerment, having moved
to America from Pakistan to further her studies and cut her teeth at Wall Street
before pursuing a fashion career in giants including Louis Vuitton. With Yaqub,
she puts together the best of her skills and passion in a venture she can call her
own.

September - October 2017 23