“We disagree on almost everything but… it only takes a minute to make up.”
There’s every chance you’ve seen Thana and Sakhaa Abdul in your explore tab. The Saudi-born, London-based sisters are absolutely worth a follow for their quick wit, perfect hair, and great outfits.
In between lectures and big-name events, they let us know what goes into running their 78,000-follower-strong Instagram – and the online store it supports.
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To learn more about their mix of luxury, sass and ambition, read on. And no, they’re not twins.
What made you decide to start your Instagram?
It was mainly to share our passion and energy within the field and inspire women across the world to achieve their dreams. We wanted to combine our energy with a finely honed edit of emerging fashion, design, photography.
How do you find working together as sisters?
Extremely challenging as Sakhaa and I [Thana] are completely opposites. We disagree on almost everything, and we argue a lot but in the end it only takes a minute to make up and move on. Sakhaa and I balance each other out. We both help each other, and we learn so much from each other.
How would you describe your style?
We’re so different, I [Thana] have more of a tomboy/rock chic vibe. I love a masculine-meets-feminine touch, like wearing suits with sneakers, blazers with combat boots and dark eyeshadows. I’m also very minimalistic. I don’t shop a lot – I stick to few pieces once a year. I prefer to have a capsule wardrobe than consuming and following the trends constantly.
When did you realise you were starting to make it?
We do not believe that this is something you realise. We believe entrepreneurship is a skill that you either have or have not. We want our audience to do more than just shop or admire – we welcome our audience to come, hang out and be inspired.
What are you most proud of that you’ve achieved so far?
Launching our label, Coded Nation, and collaborating with Chanel, YSL, and Marc Jacobs, among others.
How did Coded Nation come about?
Our aim was to create an international designers hub to act as an umbrella for affordable fashion. We want to minimise the consumption of fast fashion. This cycle starts from the designers, who need to produce affordable garments for customers who are looking for fresh different and affordable pieces.
Who are your ride-or-die favourite Middle Eastern labels?
Coded Nation obviously! No but seriously there are a lot of emerging upcoming young brands such as Flaws, Shabab intl , Kamushki, Arwa Albanawi. Those four are my top favourites at the moment.
What does a typical day in the life of the Abduls look like?
There is never a day that looks alike. We like to be flexible – one day we are at the photoshoot and another day we could be working on our YouTube channel.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Images: The Abduls/Instagram
