Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

Self-taught Saudi designer Razan Suliman is the founder of pop-fashion brand Fanilla Couture and the owner of BYLENS, the first Qatari stock photography. Her brand consists of trendy Arabic inspired t-shirts that reflect word play and contrasting graphics.



“It is a reflection of all my interests in life and passion with the Arabic culture put together in one design on a t-shirt,” she told Saudi Gazette. There is a story behind every design. “Every collection has a mood and style but the common thread is my love and keenness to reflect and revive the Arabic culture. I find it very interesting that because of my brand young generations are wearing something to reflect their background and at the same time look trendy and stylish. I built up my brand name the hard way so I cherish the success I am experiencing now and I only wish to keep surprising my fans with new matchless ideas.”



Suliman lives in Qatar and studied information technology.  After working with web development for sometime, she got more interested in graphic designing.  “I felt that graphic design is what I enjoy the most so I began to teach myself and research online to learn the basics of design. The more I did it, the more I enjoyed till one day I took a few design courses and decided a complete career shift. I worked on many freelance projects but always had that dream of owning my own brand. I introduced Fanilla Couture in 2011.”



The latest collection for women was her Ramadan collection where she played with a lot of Arabic icons, trendy designs and vivid colors. “I used Arabic icons, things we closely use on a daily basis as well as added few Arabic text in the design. I also introduced my first collection for men, which embrace the same philosophy of my brand. I can’t say what’s next now because I have so much on my mind and I am not sure of which things I will go forward with but I can’t even sleep from all the ideas I have so maybe soon I will announce my confirmed next projects. “



Fanilla Couture is hybrid, aiming to mix heritage and modernity, a theme, which seems to be a hit with local fashion designers in the Middle East. She mixes different cultural elements with vivid colors’ on chosen high quality t-shirts.



Suliman said the trend among emerging designers in the Gulf creates a very healthy competitive environment which fuels inspiration and encourages us to offer our best work. “However I find it is getting more challenging for any new designer to consider competition since they really have to be talented and offer something new to break through.”



She wants to take Fanilla Couture abroad and make it an international brand. “I want to see westerners wearing things that reflect the Arabic heritage. It is sad how Arabs always wear what reflects western culture and barely reflect their own. It would be rewarding to see Fanilla couture revive the Arabic culture not only across the Gulf but also abroad. I want it to be that brand that encourages westerners to wear what reflects our own culture.” She plans to add more variety to the collection including like notebooks, mobile covers and sweaters among other things.



“I spend too much time on social media,” Suliman admitted. “I am always keen to update my fans on my brand’s news. Also I guess positive word of mouth has played a very important role in my success because when a satisfied client tells her friends about me, she brings more attention to my brand and this is the best kind of marketing any brand would wish to have. My work speaks for itself; people love the quality, the designs and the colors so this helped me break through in Doha. My t-shirts have been recently displayed in Hamad International airport in a store named Junction and will soon be available in other stores again.”



You can email or WhatsApp them for local and international orders and follow them on instagram for more updates.



She said her real aspiration is seeing the brand encourage youth to stick to their culture and get to know and understand more about the Gulf heritage through her designs. “On a personal level I also wish to be able to support the uprising talents in Doha through my workshops. Sharing my knowledge is something I cherish and wish to continue doing.“