Agata

“What Makes You Different, Makes You Beautiful”

Polish fashion designer Agata who sharing her life between Riyadh and Dubai, talking about her latest sustainable collection - inspired by Saudi Arabian culture and heritage.

photoshoot team: Photographer Raad Jamil @raadjem Model Norah @n.infinite Makeup artist Rula Zughbaba @rulzzz

How and where did the AGATAH brand story begin?

My fashion affair started when I was a little girl, surrounded by the extravagant, bohemian Polish society of the 1970-80ʼs. My mother was a singer so I was spending hours admiring stage costumes and the fashion of the artists. This unique lifestyle became my everyday inspiration. While raising my family and moving to Dubai I was again inspired as I was as a child in Poland. Dubai, famous for its love for fashion, is a global crossroads where beauty and sophistication combine with individuality and flair. As a result in 2009 I established the AGATAH brand. My idea was to create clothes to empower women, to make them feel confident and beautiful, regardless of age, body shape and personality. I didn’t want to create just garments, my aim was to cater wearable pieces of art which could convey the uniqueness of the wearer. I look for the inspiration in the rich local culture and heritage of places where I live or used to live, as well as different sources of art like paintings, movies and of course the 70’s fashion era.

'Noticeable Elements of Sadu' in the latest collection, what does this mean for you?

The latest AGATAH collection “What Makes You Different, Makes You Beautiful” was inspired by Saudi Arabian culture and heritage. My idea was to apply decorative elements of Saudi national clothes into contemporary bohemian designs. The Sadu belt is one of the most outstanding handwoven decorative elements used in Bedouin traditional crafts known as AlSadu. The Sadu weaving craft, in its day, was an important indicator of the skill level and artistry of the weaver from specific regions. I’m truly amazed by the beauty and diversity of Sadu art, hence I found the importance of incorporating the elements of Sadu belts and giving them deserved recognition.

With your international fashion background experience, where does this bring you these days?

There are two main aspects of my work in the fashion industry, designing and styling. I started my career as a fashion designer, since the beginning of this journey I have been working closely with my clients, which allows me to understand that women are looking for clothes which reflect the message they want to convey to the outer world and simultaneously to flatter them. This discovery motivated me to deepen my knowledge as a personal stylist and image consultant. Today, along with my themed collections which I release at least once a year (as a sustainable brand we don’t have to follow fashion seasons) most of the time I’m dedicated to helping women with a variety of backgrounds to look and feel their best, through personal style consultations and styling workshops.

As an image consultant do you feel that a modern woman must build up her wardrobe in a sustainable fashion line?

I believe that a modern woman, who is daily juggling many tasks needs to build her wardrobe according to her personal style, body shape, coloring and a lifestyle. That requires understanding all the aspects of using fashion to her benefits. This process requires establishing a sustainable capsule wardrobe. The concept of a capsule wardrobe is based on the collection of a few essential items of clothing (usually 20 staples for each season) that won’t go out of fashion, are made from high-quality fabrics, have flattering cuts and are in neutral colors that can be mixed and matched with the rest of the wardrobe to create multiple outfits for different occasions and seasons.

Tell us more about your Personal Styling Online Course, are there real benefits compared to a live styling course/session?

The Personal Styling Online Course "Be The Woman You Want To Be” is a series of interactive Style Workshops for ladies, which helps women to create or elevate their unique personal style. Throughout this path, women learn to use fashion as a confidence tool from the comfort of their home. During the course I teach how to create a personal style, how to dress according to the body shape, face shape, body proportions and coloring, as well as how to build a sustainable wardrobe. It's a very convenient way to obtain the knowledge which can be used for personal growth and success. The course is designed to be conducted to a group and also to individuals. This means that every woman can improve her styling skills in a suitable time and place.

Bohemian Style as your personal preference - how it is connected to the modern shopper's society?

Personally, the Bohemian style is a perfect way to embody my adventurous nature, femininity and my love for the fashion from the 70’s. To get a better feel for the Bohemian Style we need to understand its background. The bohemian style has its beginning in the 70’s when people started breaking rules and looking for freedom in every aspect of their lives. That was a time of political division, spiritual awaking, people were looking for freedom, they were questioning politics, civil rights and gender inequality. Looking at it from today’s perspective we can easily relate to these circumstances. Therefore, the bohemian style has become the signature look of many modern, creative and confident women all over the world. A woman who expresses herself through bohemian styling, lives her life respectfully to human beings, cultures and planet. Moreover, currently women with a higher purchasing power are those who started their fashion relationship in the 70’s, with their moms, aunts and other fashion icons who had a Bohemian Style wardrobe. It's an emotional element which plays a significant role in buying decisions.

What are your Online platforms for sales.

As I mentioned, AGATAH collections are made according to the sustainable fashion requirements, hence they are produced in limited quantities, some of the pieces are also made to order. They are available in the Middle East on my website www.agatah. com and exclusively on Wolf&Badger e-comers platform which collaborates worldwide with premium independent sustainable fashion and lifestyle brands. At the moment the recent AGATAH collection is almost sold out, but we are planning to launch a new collection on both platforms in late December.