Four of the UAE’s most stylish creatives invited us into their offices, studios and wardrobes to show us how they stay polished and professional all day long.
Name: Arwa Al-Banawi
Nationality: Saudi Arabia
Profession: Fashion designer and entrepreneur
Instagram: @arwaalbanawi
“MY OFFICE IS filled with art and books, but when it comes to actual work I’m OCD – everything has to be in place or I can’t focus. My style is relaxed yet a little eccentric, on a daily basis you’ll find me in a T-shirt and loose pants and when I’m heading out to a meeting I throw on a blazer.”
“I CAN’T WORK WITHOUT music, I listen to jazz when I finish a long day and deep house when I have a ton of emails or while I’m sketching. I don’t usually work from my desk either, you’ll often find me on the floor or a chair with my sketchbook.”
“I KEEP MOTIVATED BY thinking of the end result – that always gets me pumped. I am also very excited that S*uce will soon stock my collection, I’m designing an exclusive line of dresses just for them too.”
Top 5 office and work wear items Arwa is lusting over this season:
Canvas slippers Dhs2,400, Gucci
Backpack Dhs1,485, freitag.ch
Laptop and iPad skin Dhs92, society6.com
Notebook Dhs172, smythson.com
Suede Heart Satin trainer Dhs294, Puma
Name: Deborah Henning
Nationality: British
Profession: Fashion Designer
Instagram: @deborahhenning
“MY STYLE IS in keeping with my brand, I’m usually wearing black, white or grey. I keep it minimal, yet interesting. I like to wear my own pieces mixed with other designers such as a pair of Helmut Lang Jeans or a Rag & Bone jacket. I love the aesthetic of Cos and Zara, they’re great for off-the-runway shapes. It’s also easily accessible for mixing and matching work looks.”
“FOR AN AFTER WORK EVENT I usually just change from Converse to a killer heel, add a bold red lip and I’m ready to go. The concept of my label is to work from day to night.”
“I KEEP MOTIVATED BY TAKING business inspiration from motivators like Gary Vaynerchuk, who has a very direct approach and Tony Robbins who has a life approach to business. I’ve just been selected by Fashion Scout London to showcase at London Fashion Week, so my motivation is at an all time high right now and I’m enjoying 12 hour days.”
Top 5 office and workwear items Deborah is lusting over this season:
Didi sunglasses Dhs789, gentlemonster.com
Faye medium shoulder bag Dhs5,683, Chloé
Black Confetti 2017 planner Dhs110, fringe studio at nordstrom.com
Ring Dhs400, Riwaya
Trainers Dhs1,319, theynewyork.com
Name: Dima Al Saidi
Profession: d3 Communication Manager
Nationality: Lebanese
Instagram: @dimasaidi
“MY FAVOURITE OFFICE WEAR BRANDS include Victoria Beckham, Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, Roksanda and Gucci. For the office I always throw on a simple long black dress with mid-length sleeves and a modest knee-slit. I accessorise with a lot of rings and a plain metal choker, and of course sneakers.”
“FORMAL ATTIRE IS history, office style has transitioned more into athleisure and modern workwear with bold cuts and colours. For me, comfort always comes first, I work long hours and I always make sure the bottoms that I’m wearing are relaxed yet unconventionally chic.”
“I DRAW INSPIRATION FROM the people around me, I work with amazing colleagues that have a wealth of knowledge in the design industry as well as an extended community of more than 260 creatives that organically work closely together to create collective projects in the region.”
Top 5 office and workwear items Dima is lusting over this season:
Houndstooth canvas mules Dhs2,143, altuzarra at net-a-porter.com
Bag Dhs7,840, Mark Cross at net-a-porter.com
Printed silk skirt Dhs5,650, Gucci
Star and skull ring Dhs1,385, alexander mcQueen at bysymphony.com
Macbook Pro Dhs5,999, Apple
Name: Ayah Al Bitar
Nationality: Saudi Arabia
Profession: Founder/Industrial Designer
Instagram: @ayahalbitar.design
“MY STAPLE WORKWEAR PIECE is a pair of boyfriend-fit trousers. If I’m going straight from the office to an event I usually dress up with a pair of heels and quick hair-do. My favourite stores in Dubai for workwear are Cos and Adidas and my top workwear tip is to always wear comfy shoes!”
“MY WORK SPACE is so inspiring, it’s such a cool and chilled environment to be in, I feel very comfortable in it. My team is the greatest and most inspiring group of people that I love to surround myself with.”
“MY FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION is coming up at Dubai Design Days on March 14-17. I’m also experimenting with new materials, 2017 is a very exciting time for me.”
Top 5 office and workwear items Ayah is lusting over this season:
NMD trainers Dhs492, Adidas
Mug Dhs39, namshi.com
Sketchbook Dhs62, Paperchase
Tote bag Dhs7,057, Celine
Jumper Dhs245, Cos
Style Editor: Carmel Gill. Photography: Kristina Nabieva
