JEDDAH — “Dolly” is a local name synonymous with fashionable Thobes alongside ingenious and arty canvas paintings. Founder Dalia Darwish, 32 years old, said: “Ever since I was a young girl, I always wanted to be unique. Whether it was regarding fashion and the way I dress, my ideas or even my work for school projects.” Established in 2005, after graduating in Graphic Design from American University of Sharjah, Darwish decided it was time to invest her education and time into her ideas. Besides her lucrative fashion business, the Saudi designer also works on “Canvas by Dolly.” “And by God's blessings and my parent's support, I can thankfully say that I'm very proud to have accomplished what I have this far and always aspire to keep moving forward and achieving new goals.” She said “Dolly” was a nickname given to her at a young age. “It was coined by my aunt's husband Hani Al-Attas. He started calling me Dolly from a young age and I thank him for giving me such a lovely nickname that has brought me passion, luck, success and great career!” Her pieces play with loud, vibrant colors, patterns and gorgeous fabrics selected exclusively from all around the world. Darwish manages to keep the playfulness alive with adding a touch of sophistication to her popular designs. All her Thobes and caftan designs are similarly romantic and bold in color and couture. She said she designs every single dress at Dolly. “I am very specific with the cuts, color combination, mix of fabrics, finishing, and cleanliness of the final garment. In order to continually create fresh and sophisticated kaftans, I travel every two months to collect new and original fabrics.” Her canvas ideas and creations use her graphic design elements where she plays with oil painting, graphics, photography, jewelry and fabric to produce unique multi-dimensional designs. The Dolly collection is exhibited yearly during Ramadan and can also be found at exclusive stores in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. She said there has been a huge change in the Saudi fashion industry over the past 10 years. “Back then there were just a few female owned shops.” She said now young women are more involved. “In many ways like becoming fashion consultants to opening their own high quality concept stores, fashion has become a very important subject in Saudi among all young ladies and men.” According to Darwish, her vast exposure has helped inspire her designs. “Just by traveling around the world and looking at the beauty of landscapes, gardens, art, people, etc. “I feel like I need to interpret this beauty in my designs and this always gives me new ways to conceptualize fresh designs and fresh colors. “Everything out there that is colorful gives me the passion to combine modernity with our culture and the beautiful details of our Arabic styles.” Dolly prices differ depending on the fabric and design. Casual cotton dresses start from SR1,500 while dresses with more details and different fabrics start from SR1,850. Pieces made with fine fabrics like silk, hand embroidered or eyelet fabrics start from SR 2,800. The hand painted fabrics and delicate designs start from around SR 4,500. She told Saudi Gazette: “When I started the Dolly brand in the year 2005, I had a variety of different ideas in mind ranging from tops and accessories to dresses.” But as Dolly developed as a brand, she became more focused on long modern kaftans. “Initially, they were only sold annually in my residence during the month of Ramadan. “Today, however, Dolly has become a known brand in Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates. My hope is to have the brand grow to other areas of the Middle East in the near future.” Darwish chooses her designs to be trendy et conservative. “Since most Arab women want to look flattering and elegant at the same time.” She said throughout the design stage, she aims to create nice silhouettes and simple cuts with a modern twist, “so every women can feel attractive and fashionable in all pieces.” Darwish advised fashionistas to pair up Dolly designs with simple flats or heals. “On the other hand, people who like to add accessories, could be original by adding a necklace or earrings depending on the look they are trying to achieve. “In fashion, nothing is too much or too simple: You create your look the way you want!” Darwish said she does not mind working with new talented young designers who bring passion, creativity and fresh ideas. “Some of my favorite high-end designers include Oscar de la renta, Roland Mouret and Dolce and Gabbana. I also like other younger designers such as Mary katrantzou, Dries van Noten, Tata Naka and other designers.” She told Saudi Gazette her upcoming 2013 collection will be displayed during the first days of Ramadan at an exclusive exhibition at her house. “The dresses will also be available in Dubai at Sauce Shop at Dubai Mall and in Abu Dhabi at The Village at Marina Mall.” Talking about her new collection, she said: “As for the collection's theme and models, it will be a surprise. I am currently working on the concept of the photo shoot and usually only reveal the concept two days before the exhibition. “I also closely oversee the whole concept from the graphics and art direction to the models and photo editing.” Every year,Darwish sets one of her favorite pieces aside as a reminder of each collection's theme. “For 2012, my selected design was called Lime Bacuba, and in 2011 the piece I kept was Balloon Dress. In 2010 it was The Ancestors.” She said her next step is to keep growing both businesses around the Middle East and finding new interesting venues for her fashion line. “I'm hoping to shortly showcase the Dolly brand in Qatar and Bahrain.”
