A few days ago, Dolce & Gabbana took the Middle East and global internet by storm when it revealed its first Abaya collection. Between supporters and critiques, the collection has certainly become the most talked-about topic in the fashion industry.
Even though this project is not the designers’ first dedicated collection, it still marks a huge milestone for the brand, the fashion industry, and most importantly Muslim women around the world.
“The new Dolce & Gabbana Abaya collection is a reverie amidst the desert dunes and skies of the Middle East: an enchanting visual story about the grace and beauty of the marvelous women of Arabia,” designers said through a dispatched press release.
Marketing manager of the fashion division at Nile Projects and Trading Jilan El-Rihany defined the capsule collection as an absolute innovation, given the brand’s luxurious style.
“I believe Dolce & Gabbana’s new innovation has definitely supplied a demand and diversified its product categories. It means the brand has reached a level where it is not only defining fashion but also catering to different cultures, which means catering to many potential markets especially theGCC markets,” she said.
The collection brilliantly maintained the brand’s well-known signatures and yet showed great understanding of Islamic culture. According to the designers, the dark shades resembled the Arabian Desert with all of its dark hues. Meanwhile, the intricate daisies, lemons, and red roses’ embroidery linked the abayas to the brand’s SS16 collection and labeled its garments with Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian style.
“Georgette and charmeuse fabrics were used and combined with lace inserts and trim in perfect Dolce & Gabbana style. Classic Hijabs coordinated with the outfits complete the look,” the designers said in the official press release.
The abaya line will be available starting this month in all Middle Eastern Dolce & Gabbana boutiques, as well as in Milan, Munich, Paris, and London.
“Egyptians may like it but I believe the collection would be of more interest to “khalijis” (people from the Gulf), especially since it goes in line with their fashion sense and culture,” El-Rihany said. “Khaliji bloggers appreciate luxury brands; therefore having a brand like Dolce & Gabbana offering a new product line that recognises their personal style is definitely something that is appealing to them and their needs.”
This capsule collection comes amid a global campaign to highlight veiled Muslim women in the fashion industry. Last September, H&M featured a Hijabi model in their “Close the Loop” campaign, marking the first Hijabi representation in international high-street fashion market.
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian fashion house founded by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in 1985. The international entity has proven to be true Italian ambassadors with their authentic designs and modern interpretation of local culture. However, the designers have also created special collections dedicated to the Chinese market as well as Brazilian, Japanese, and Mexican.
