Qatar in Colour |
“The process starts in my head,
with mood boards and photos. I
take elements I like and sketch
them, then I select the fabrics and
start designing.”
Fahad Al Obaidly,
Founder of the Qatar Fashion Society
through her clothes. She loved silk because of how
it made her feel as a woman. Fashion brought the
femininity she had maybe lost through being a mother
and career woman.”
These early lessons were the start of an extraordinary
journey for Fahad. This journey has taken him through
the fashion of the Ottomans, to the couture workshops
of Milan, and the streets of Paris – and back to Qatar.
T
o Fahad Al Obaidly, the delicate shimmer of silk
forever evokes his mother.
The artist, designer, and film-maker paints a vivid
picture of a mesmerising woman seen through the eyes
of a small child. “The inspiration behind what I do is
my mother,” he says. “She would watch old Hollywood
movies on the black and white TV, observe their clothes
closely and sketch them, to then recreate the designs for
herself.
“She idolised those screen stars, their confidence. She
loved layers, and she wanted to express her femininity
He explains: “I’ve always been interested in textiles.
Early on, I did a project on Ottoman culture and how
it informs Western design. I knew immediately this was
what I wanted to do in life.
“My grandma told me: ‘Don’t do something because you
can do it, but because you need to do it. That need will
fuel you.’”
Fahad – whose three sisters are all artists – spent six years
in Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Turkey, then
Paris and Milan, where he studied.
“In Milan they allowed me to go backstage and into
the studios,” he says. “I learnt fine tailoring skills. No
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