Saudi designer Nora Al Shaikh says in a conversation with Vogue Arabia about her Spring 2017 collection, “As my label has grown, the most gratifying part has been to see my clothes being worn by women from Jeddah to LA.” To ensure that the brand’s Resort 2017 collection is globally relevant and fresh, Al Shaikh collaborated with jewelry designer Erika Peña. “Erika and I love to travel and experience different cultures, and I also thought about that a lot as I was designing my collection, because Ramadan gatherings today can occur anywhere in the world,” Al Shaikh says. This explains the playful separates that comprise the Ramadan offering that decidedly “takes the guesswork out” of dressing for the Holy Month and can be layered with cozy pieces if you are in a cooler climate, or left as presented.
The collection features tactile cottons, silk-satin blends, and chiffon pieces that meander through the color spectrum: hot pink and turquoise being the starring hues here. The kaftan gets a modern upgrade with cut-out sections on the shoulder and chunky knotted straps with a louche finish. Rather surprisingly, the designer pinned a host of images of 90s camisole dresses on her mood board, and reinterpreted the trend for 2017 with a conservative edge. Versatility is the designer buzzword so it’s no surprise that shirt dresses also feature here. “The shirt dress has always been a bestseller for us, so I’ve included new versions in the collection. I’ve also experimented with transparency and layering to create looks that will appeal to a diversity of women,” Al Shaikh says.
Erika Peña’s custom-made pieces that accompany key looks from the collection include layered beading that offers texture, the punchy azure blue beads being the showstopper accessory that take the off-the-shoulder, floor-grazing dress in baby blue to the next level. You can view the Nora Al Shaikh Ramadan 2017 lookbook here.
See Nora Al Shaikh Spring 2017 collection edited by Vogue Arabia:
Nora Al Shaikh is available at S*uce Boutiques in the UAE, Cugini Boutique in Jeddah, Nass Boutique in Kuwait, and Threads Styling in London. The Ramadan Resort 2017 collection will be available from the brand’s Jeddah headquarters via info@noraalshaikh.com.