Sakina Shabib on how her fashion combines Arabic techniques with French femininity

As the first Saudi-French designer to graduate from the prestigious Chambre Nationale de la Haute couture in Paris, Sakina Shabib has spent the past decade weaving elements from both cultures into her collections.

She takes pride in blending Western and Middle Eastern identities and likes to “celebrate the intersection” of them. In addition, she divides her time between the French capital, where her atelier Sakina Paris is located, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, aiming to capture the spirit of both for her growing fashion following.

“My style combines French femininity with bright, fun colors and a love of handmade embroidery, which is so popular in Arab culture,” she says. National.

Shbib’s aptitude for fashion was sparked at an early age by her mother, who became her “life inspiration”.

“She was a dressmaker and I grew up watching her creativity and hard work,” she says.

Shbib started taking drawing lessons as a young student and developed a keen appreciation for creativity. “I love that moment of reflection when I watch my mother prepare a sketch with a pen or use a sewing needle to finish a dress for a customer,” she says.

Also, what struck her was the “peace and beauty” found in the fashionable athlete.

On her 15th birthday, Shabib’s mother gave her a Singer sewing machine and by the time she was 18, she learned that she could make a dress on her own.

“People always told me that my wardrobe was beautiful and asked me where my dresses came from. I thought people’s reactions were very interesting and that’s when I started thinking seriously about a career in fashion,” she said.

Today, Shbib designs, manufactures and sells her pieces in her Paris atelier. Her clothes are for women who “want to be beautiful and value quality,” and she describes her style as “classic, but with a twist.”

“She’s vibrant, successful and yet not intimidating or outdated,” says the Sakina Paris woman. Shbib aims to create contemporary pieces that will be worn in 2022, yet will stand the test of time and still be stylish as the decades pass.

Her “entrepreneurial inspiration” came from her Saudi husband, who taught her to “dream big, but take small risks” along the way.

Shbib also looks up to fashion designers of her generation, such as Amina Mouadi or Jane Damas. “I love how they’ve built their brand with a strong artistic vision so it’s not just a fashion item, but a whole lifestyle for girls who can relate to them.”

And after graduating from Chambre National de la Haut in 2012, she studied with the biggest names in international fashion, including Chanel, Givenchy and Alexandre Vauthier.

“Immediately, I started building my technique at the Chanel atelier, first as an embroiderer in haute couture and métier d’art collections,” she added.

A few years later she also worked in quality management: “I learned the rigors of haute couture and the requirements of elite clients.

In the year She joined Alexandre Vauter in 2015 and spent a year as a tailor’s assistant, after which she joined Givenchy as a pattern maker for ready-to-wear collections.

Shbib launched her brand in 2017 at the age of 28, when she “felt strong enough to take on the challenge” and opened a small atelier in the 8th arrondissement of Paris with a small team of three assistants and a PR agent.

“What I’ve learned working in big fashion companies is that success requires a broad team of diverse technical experts, and that each department relies on each talent that makes up a large chain under strong management,” says Shbib, now 33.

She says that the most important part of any high-end outfit is the finishing touch. “It’s the first thing I learned working in a French maison de couture, so for example, it’s not just my choice to put French seams in my clothes, but my choice to overlock or put a handmade blindfold on my coat.”

These details strongly reflect French savoir faire, but the Saudi influences come through in a “sophisticated approach with a strong aesthetic statement.” “French style is a somewhat understated aesthetic,” she says.

She designs only dresses and describes her signature piece as fitted clothing “featuring beautifully finished lines of construction”.

“For example, I don’t promote pants because the symbol of femininity is dear to my heart,” she added. “I love when the dress can highlight some beauty aspect, like when it emphasizes the waist or the slit on the leg that expresses the fluidity of the walk. It doesn’t matter if the dress is classic or tasteful, as long as it’s feminine. Above all.

“I want women to feel strong and empowered. A dress is like a shield. It protects you, but it’s a style statement that gives you confidence.”

In her latest collection, she uses unique materials and stylistic references that echo French folklore, such as lace de Calais-cauri made only in the north of France, Vichy patterns that celebrate brass culture and polka dots. Points “take you back to the summer south of France”

“However, my color palettes are inspired by my Middle Eastern heritage,” she says. “I especially like to use red, orange and pink. My signature on couture dresses is hand-embroidery and crystals – this is a very popular style element for Arab women.”

Looking back on her career, Shbib says that her journey took a slightly different path than she had originally envisioned. “I was a little naive about what it meant to be an entrepreneur,” she says.

“I thought I’d spend my days in the atelier skating, prototyping clothes and marketing textiles. But instead, I became a small owner of a company whose interests focused mostly on management, recruitment, staff training, work organization, logistics. Accounting until expressing your creativity became a challenge with other obligations. , budgeting and meetings.

Although it’s so exciting to see her artistic vision come to life, she says she “wouldn’t trade it for any other role in the world.”

“The basis of fashion work is the relationship with the customer,” she says. “You have to know what women like, what they want and don’t want to wear.”

When she started, Shbib remembers thinking that all women have the same body type and lifestyle.

“My first collection was mostly very elegant dresses with the same construction,” she says. “I base my creations on my ideal woman rather than actual women.”

When she worked for haute couture houses, the prototype was a size 36 and the models on the catwalk had the correct body structure. “As I’ve grown more mature in my vision, I’ve realized that most women have some sense of self-confidence,” she says. “Most of them don’t like their hips and legs, or prefer stretchy fabrics for more comfort.”

She realized that “good designers” should think about these practicalities before presenting collections, offering different dresses that match different lifestyles and body types. She wanted to lead this art without changing her artistic identity.

“With the popularity of social media as a means of communication, it is very useful to get the opinions of the customers and gather information about what women like the most,” she says.

Her business is based in Paris, and her clothes are available to buy online, and she hopes to one day expand to the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia. “I believe that in the next five years, the country will continue to grow with new talents,” she said.

In particular, Shbib cites the government’s new plan for the fashion sector as a good opportunity. “It means that the young Saudi generation will learn creativity, artistic inspiration and techniques from the fashion industry without going to Paris.

“I believe that girls of my generation want to be financially independent, successful in business but beautiful, confident and articulate,” she added. “We live in a generation where self-expression on social media matters more than ever.”

Updated: August 26, 2022, 3:21 am