Head over to luxury handbag designer Noof Al Shekar’s website, NS by Noof, and you will be transported to a world where exotic skins, semi-precious stones, gold, and clean, architectural motifs meld together to become opulent, yet functional design pieces. Style.com/Arabia speaks with the Bahraini designer to learn more about how she blends her passion for stones, architecture, and accessories.
ON RAISING FOUR BOYS AND NURTURING A BUDDING CAREER
I live in Manama, Bahrain with my husband and four boys—12, 8, 2, and 1; and while I am first a mother before a designer, my work is my passion and it provides me with an opportunity to “zone out” of the house. I grew up with five brothers and sisters, but I was unequivocally the nerd in the family. I was very into my studies and wanted to become an architect, but soon discovered a love for fashion as a teenager when I developed a passion for shopping.
ON BLENDING FINE JEWELRY AND HANDBAGS
My creative path first began when I started designing my own jewelry. I had a huge necklace that my husband had given me and after ten years of owning it (and not wearing it), I was finally able to convince a jeweler to open it up for me so that I could put it back together the way I wanted. Although, I get bored rather quickly from jewelry… and so, I ended up instead looking to turn my clutches into jewelry pieces.
ON HER PASSION FOR STONES
When I travel, I collect stones. I’m open to any new stone, as long as it catches my eye. I used to use onyx because it went with everything but now I prefer “Arabic stones”—turquoise and amber—and antique stones. Lately, I also use a lot of corals and amethysts. I’m drawn to the energy of stones and I like suggesting them to people; for example, I would suggest a rose quartz or amethyst to someone looking for love.
ON HER INTEREST IN ARCHITECTURE
My love of architecture does not begin and end with Arab design. After all, my last collection was inspired by the Russian period. It comes down to being inspired during my travels—I’ll notice metal work in a window and that will lead to a design idea.
ON THE VALUE OF “LIMITED EDITIONS”
The first handbag I designed remains my favorite piece. It’s from the Andalucia collection (2010). I like straight lines—clean cuts. I think this bag is the smallest one I have; it’s like a piece of jewelry and comes in a limited edition. I don’t want everyone else wearing the same thing, because then there is no value to it. For the smaller clutches, I only ever produce seven pieces of each color and for the bigger bags, 11 of each color.
NS By Noof is available at J Boutique in Moda Mall, Bahrain; Fifty-One East in Qatar; Etoile in Dubai; and Aloha in Paris.
