Sahar Madani shows off her new range of abayas. Bizzie Frost Saudi Gazette Over the past few years, we have seen an exciting evolution of the abaya, a garment that thirty years ago was a dreary, baggy, black garment that hid women's figures, and whatever fashionable clothing they might have on underneath. Sahar Madani, a Saudi who lives in Dubai, recently had a show of the exotic abayas she designs, catering to both the Saudi and the different demands of the UAE markets. Madani is a slim, elegant woman and a perfect model for her own designs — and her sisters are adamant that she wears only her own designs. Her abaya show was held in the upstairs section of the Andalusiah Café on Sultan Street, and she greeted me wearing a sheer, black lace garment flowing over her jeans and t-shirt — a classic example of casual wear transformed into classy chic with the addition of an expensive accessory, in this case, a lace abaya. She took me straight over to the two rails of abayas, one section for formal, evening wear, and the other for more informal wear. The once dowdy abaya has now become not just a fashion statement, but also an expression of the personality of the wearer. “When a lady chooses a design or color, this shows her personality. People will look at her and will be able to see whether she is a classic, or modern, or a crazy, outgoing person, all from the fabric and detail in the abaya. In this region and in the GCC where all women wear abayas, this is how they can show their personality,” said Madani. Madani is by no means the first designer to introduce color and different textiles to the abaya. As we talked, she changed into one of her abayas — an unusual one not because of the colored cuffs on the bell sleeves but because she had added a colorful purple sash to it — emphasizing her slim waist almost giving it a ‘kimono' look. “The thing is,” Madani explained, “since I don't live in Saudi Arabia, I have created some designs that are more acceptable in the the UAE. Over there when we go to events or dinners we stay in our abayas throughout the time, even if we are all ladies. So, our abaya is our dress. You would not wear something like this in a shopping mall, for instance, but going from one house to another for an event, or to a wedding, it is fine.” Another abaya that will no doubt be in demand is her “Bride's abaya.” Madani said that sometimes when a bride is going from the wedding hall to her husband's house she is usually covered with a sheet because of her huge wedding dress, which is also sometimes strapless; she may even have an elaborate hairstyle and hence she must be covered in a way that doesn't spoil her look. However, there is nothing suited to this in the market. That is when Madani thought why not make an abaya to match the bride's gown. She then showed me elaborate, embroidered off-white bridal abaya, complete with an attached, loose hood made of light fabric, which can easily cover her hair without upsetting it. All of Madani's evening abayas are made from fine silk and invariably have two layers: one is a silk satin in a base color (she likes classic deep reds, navy, teal, and cream), and the outer layer is sheer silk chiffon, or entirely lace. She has added delicate, feminine details to them in the form of French lace trim and sequins; and they are accompanied with matching “tarha” or “sheyla” and little bags. She also showed me her line of what she calls her “Spanish abayas” — when you see the playful line of colored frills around the neckline and down the front, her source of Flamenco inspiration is easily recognizable. Madani's abayas are a little on the higher side — priced between SR2000 to SR3000 — even the cotton or the less formal ones. A great believer in women looking good at all times, Madani said: “You don't know who is going to knock on your door, so I don't like this attitude that ‘I am going to stay in my pyjamas all day because I don't plan on going out.' For me, that is a no-no. You get up, you put some make-up, and you dress nicely. If someone knocks on your door, “Ahlan wa Sahlan”, you are ready! So the same applies to the abaya. Madani's daytime abayas are made of high quality pure cotton, again with two layers and different colors. They are soft, light and lovely to feel. I comment that these ones look as formal as her evening abaya range. “It is the fabrics that define whether it is a daytime or an evening abaya.” She shows me her ‘Signature Abaya', one of her first designs. It was given the seal of approval by Princess Ameerah Al Taweel, who wore it at Madani's Woman Empower Group (WE Group). In the same way that the Duchess of Cambridge is in the UK, Princess Ameerah is a trendsetter in Saudi Arabia and the UAE — and orders arrived in abundance for this style. At the moment, Madani operates her abaya design business from home, with three other seamstresses — one from Lebanon and two from the Philippines. When abayas need to be embroidered, they are outsourced to Indians who specialize in this work in Dubai. She has some other additions to her collections which add a fun touch, such as the “Mother & Daughter” abayas, and a collection geared specifically to the young teenager who has just started to wear an abaya. Madani herself grew up in an abaya-free environment in Arizona, USA. She obtained her fine arts degree at Montgomery College in Maryland followed by an associate degree in Graphic Design. “I grew up seeing my mother and aunts wearing the abaya, so when we come here it is normal to wear one. We actually miss it when we are in the States, so I enjoy being here and wearing my abayas.” She told me she has about fifteen of them in her wardrobe. Madani now lives in Dubai with her husband who is the Consul General of Saudi Arabia. “I have a lot of obligations as the wife of a diplomat. I am also the President of the Diplomatic Ladies Group in Dubai, and I founded the Women's Empowerment Group there, so I can't give my designing 100 percent. I just design when I have time. The reason that I am in Dubai is my husband, so he comes first along with my diplomatic responsibilities.” Visit Madani's website http://www.saharmadani.com for further details on her exclusive range of abayas.
