[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="In Focus: Designers In The Kingdom" ids="120691,120692,120693,120694"]
By Mariam Nihal
Even after working for seven years in the petroleum sector as a specialist in Egypt, Mennatullah Helal couldn't suppress her love for fashion. It all started when she moved to Saudi Arabia 11 months ago.
""I am obsessed with fashion. I found myself with very limited options when it came to Abaya designs that suit my style, which forced me to design my own Abayas. A lot of ladies stopped and asked me where I got my Abayas from and then it just hit me. That's when I started producing and selling them to the market," Helal told Saudi Gazette.
Back home, she also used to design bags but since her husband moved to Saudi Arabia, she decided to pursue fashion seriously.
"I started making my own collection of bags, I had designed my logo which has my name in the shape of the old Egyptian flag. When my husband decided to move to Saudi Arabia I had put my dream of making bags aside trying to cope in the new enviroment and culture, but when the idea of designing Abayas popped up, I decided to go ahead and still use the same logo," she said. "My first collection was the Emoji collection, it was extremely different which I also call the Joy collection, because it made people smile. My first market interaction was in Grand Bazar in July last year where the journey started and people began to realize the brand."
Helal designs colourful pieces using trending emojis that have a playful side and appeal to young women.
She is working on her new collection called the 'vintage bohochic abaya collection'. "I was inspired by the tribal style of Nuba and Siwa where vintage coins, beads and handmade embroidery were used to reflect that era. It's always a good idea to bring back vintage and authentic roots to my designs."
What looks like a saturated market, Helal finds it hard to find her place in the Abaya industry and maintain it. "My ideas are new and different so people might take time to get used to my designs. Also, there a lot of designers in the market so it's a bit challenging to spread awareness and get people to know my brand, so I know it will take some time but I am not worried as my Abayas are very different and not like those you see in the streets everyday."
Helal's top-picks for our readers are the Emoji Abaya, Emoji trench Abaya, Bohochic Abaya and the Bohochic cardigan.
Available at Homegrown market in Rawdah.
Instagram: @by_mennahelal
For orders: 0542160350
