Since launching her label in 2010, London-based Bahraini designer, Lulwa Al Amin, has established an international following for her feminine approach to fashion, which has attracted the attention of various retailers and editors such as Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani.
In May, the young designer will launch a capsule collection of kaftans at the D’NA concept store. “When I met with D’NA to discuss the collaboration, the idea was to give the traditional kaftan a contemporary twist,” explained Al Amin, who also wanted her designs to reflect an East-meets-West sensibility.
“I was interested in how Western designers and fashion publications interpret the kaftan, not simply as a traditional garment, but as a fashion statement perfectly suited to L.A. or Capri,” noted the designer, who pored over images of Jean Shrimpton and Veruschka from the 1960s and 1970s, modeling designer kaftans in Vogue. “Many of the era’s style icons, like Marella Agnelli, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Lee Radziwill wore kaftans and I wanted to recapture some of that glamour,” added Al Amin, who studied at Central Saint Martins and worked for both Matthew Williamson and Browns before venturing out on her own.
Her creations come in a combination of fabrics including crêpe de chine, dotted Swiss cotton, and silk satin. The collection of eleven chic kaftans was designed exclusively for D’NA, and debuts at the store’s Riyadh and Doha locations on May 20th.
