Featuring quilted, metallic neoprene bombers, the softest of jerseyed slouchiness, and cropped mesh tees, the Army of 1 sports-luxe line has been popping up everywhere in Dubai—including this year’s Sole DXB. Style.com/Arabia sat down with co-founder Doha Challah to learn about how the brand came about, its DNA, and what it means to be an Army of 1.
ON HOW IT CAME TOGETHER
Army of 1 is a brand that my partner Nissreen Darawish and I co-founded in May. Although we both studied and worked in fashion, we didn’t know each other before [starting the brand]. We met through the art scene and it was just the right time—we both wanted to do something and we shared the same design aesthetic. We’re both moms, but we’re always on the go. We’re always traveling and we want something that’s comfortable, that’s contemporary, and that’s not so recognizable—something that I don’t have to see on ten other people at a party.
ON THE ARMY OF 1 WOMAN
Any woman on the go that wants something comfortable and put together can take our outfit and style it day-to-night. She’s an army of one, she does it all, and she’s strong.
Strong is the new sexy. Women want to feel strong, but they’re also more fit and health conscious, so we wanted to have that sporty aesthetic in our designs. To be honest, any woman who carries herself well and can make anything work is an inspiration.
ON BEING A CONTEMPORARY SPORTSWEAR BRAND
People here are misled with the word “sportswear.” For example, in the States, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors are considered as contemporary sportswear. Army of 1 is practical, comfortable, well put-together, and casual, and that’s what sportswear is all about. But when I say “sportswear,” people say, “Ah, those are clothes for the gym.” No, that’s activewear.
Activewear is a whole other thing that I would love to explore. For summer, we’re doing swimwear-as-outerwear—it’s all about transition.
ON THEMING COLLECTIONS
Every season, we talk about one theme. Our first collection was “Back to Basics” with everything in silk, viscose, and really soft jerseys—the short, the tank, the T-shirt, and the jacket.
Our second collection is themed “Urban Drift.” In winter, we like coziness, so it is a bit darker with metallic knits, grays, and blacks. We’re really inspired by the fabrics we choose from the fabric fair that we go to every six months. Then, when we choose a theme, everything just kind of falls into place: the campaign, the images, the models, etcetera.
Our next collection is in production already and will hopefully be launched in February. It has a more “surfer girl in the summer” vibe. She’s light and she’s more artsy, so we have the purples and the reflective, more technical fabrics. We’re always drawn to high-end jerseys, something soft that you can layer well in this weather.
