Italian Ambassador to Qatar, Alessandro Prunas (right), with Qatari and Italian teen entrepreneurs Fatima Al Ansari (left) and Aimee Jade Monti, during a press conference, recently.
The Qatari Business Women Association (QBWA) and the Italian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have partnered in supporting two Doha-based teenage Qatari and Italian entrepreneurs in launching the first ever Italian and Qatari collection of abayas which are especially made for teens in the region.
The duo, 18 year old Fatima Al Ansari from Doha and 16 year old Aimee Jade (AJ) Monti from Rome, aptly called their fashion project the ‘DOME’ Fashionistas, which is a combination of their birthplaces. The DOME’s first collection ‘Dream Big 2021’ is dedicated to a niche of young clients who are gradually introducing colours and new styles in their abayas.
Addressing a press conference recently, Italian Ambassador to Qatar, Alessandro Prunas, said: “We are pleased to encourage fashion projects between Qatari designers and Italian SMEs which can supply the craftmanship and the finest materials from clothes to shoes to jewellery and accessories. This particular project involved three companies from the region of Abruzzo and Marche, where craftmanship still plays a big role and artisans are the backbone of the economy.
“Italian fashion designer Eliana Casaula was a mentor to our young designers via Zoom and supported them to develop the Dream Big Collection. I hope this initial cooperation will lead to a bigger exchange between Qatar and Abruzzo and Marche, which are also wonderful holiday destinations,” added Prunas.
Italian Ambassador to Qatar Alessandro Prunas, said : "In 2020, we were supposed to host a trade mission to Qatar led by the famous fashion designer Filippo Flocco. Hopefully they will come soon. The companies, which specialise in embroidery, confetti, and jewellery, are very interested to explore the Qatari market. We need to work together to support the local SMEs in joint projects with our crafted Italian artisans who are probably amongst the best in the world in the fashion industry” .
President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Doha, Palma Libotte, added: “The Italian Chamber hopes that DOME will encourage other female entrepreneurs for private-label projects to develop bespoke clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery collections. The Italian Chamber has also supported the first Qatari shoe designer Hissa Al Haddad in producing her collections. The DOME fashion project blends Italian stylish ideas with traditional abaya models using the finest Italian fabrics from the regions of Abruzzo and Marche. AJ and Fatima designed and produced the abayas and together they possess a rare set of skills considering their young age”.
During the event, both Al Ansari and Monti, who were wearing their own designs, also spoke about their dreams to pursue careers in the fashion industry. Together, the two young entrepreneurs, who had met during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, started to work on their first collection. They visited local abaya productions and analysed various abaya companies to develop a trendy product suitable for the local culture.
Monti said: “I have always wanted to be a fashion designer since I was 7 years old and my dream is to go to the Polimoda in Florence, which is ranked among the top three fashion institutes in the world. The ‘Dream Big Collection’ was mostly inspired by the feelings and communication styles that are typical of the teenage years. From the freedom of the butterflies to the adventurous mermaids, the fragility of Japanese flowers, to the social media icons and emojis. We depicted the symbols of a teenager’s world. I believe that teenagers should dream big! To build their self-esteem through practical things and not just virtual. An experience like this stays with us all our lives regardless of the success we will have. Our next step will be a very exclusive presentation of the collection, at the presence of the Italian Ambassador, for a very selected group of ladies”.
Al Ansari added: “My dream is to pursue a career in fashion management. This project was very challenging to achieve as it took lots of thinking to come up with color styles, patterns, and fabrics. Our idea consisted of creating a line of abayas that would not only respect Islamic traditions but also stand out for its originality.
Teens, regardless of their culture, spend a significant amount of time and concern on their appearance. Sometimes we want to fit in and follow the most common trends, but other times we want to be unique and stand out. Also, passion is a force that brings people together to help narrow cultural gaps and break stereotypes.
This is precisely the spirit that Qatar will show to the world in 2022. I am a Qatari, and Aimee has lived in Qatar most of her life. It is a country that we both love very much and we wish to set an example of integration as teenagers”.
