The traditional Arab woman’s dress – or Abaya – is seen as a vehicle of conformity. But this is only part of the story. While it does fulfil its function of allowing its wearers to remain modest within the cultural and social context of the Gulf, it is also used by women not to hide their individuality, but to help them express it. Given a budget of AED 100,000, our brief from The Cartel was to dramatize, through a bold new design language, how the Abaya combined with a select choice of accessories had the power to make the ultimate fashion statement and help those who wear it stand out.

Maximizing contrasts, white backgrounds were employed to offset the midnight black Abayas in a minimalistic approach which embraced and explored the idea that to truly Be Seen, less is more. Against the canvas of the Abaya, reflective, blue-tinted sunglasses, a terracotta crocodile skin handbag, a ring encrusted with faux-pearls and gemstones over the top of a sable glove, a scarf worn across the neck and unapologetically shocking-green high heels brought the fact that the Abaya, a dress too often associated with conformity, had the power to make those who wear it stand out in an unprecedented way. The attitudes of the models reflected high-fashion, in keeping with the cultural pride and natural femininity that wearers of the Abaya feel.