In conversation with fashion designer and entrepreneur Latifa Al Gurg, the founder of Twisted Roots

Twisted Roots is a one-stop shop for women in search of comfortable, creative and conservative travel wear in high-quality, luxe fabrics.

Latifa Al Gurg, founder of Twisted Roots. Elmer Magallane

How did Twisted Roots come about?

a The brand was born in 2012. The idea behind launching it definitely came from a gap in the market – that of travel wear for women. Especially in this part of the world, I think sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fact that women travel regularly. And as an electrical engineer working in construction, I found myself struggling to find suitable clothes to travel in. I would always be running around finding tops from one place, trousers from another, and then struggling to source coordinating scarves. I wanted them to be well-coordinated and of a certain quality. So from that, the idea, Twisted Roots came to be.

Explain the origins of the brand’s name.

The name has complex roots – it comes from my mixed heritage, which is Danish and Emirati. It also indicates how, as we travel, we grow different roots that twist and become part of us. It can be thought of as a pun for twisted routes.

Describe the look of your ­collections.

The look is relaxed yet elegant. Our silhouettes are generally loose fitting and our fabrics are always of the best quality to give that elegant edge. The pieces flatter women and help them ­always look stylish. Our prices range from Dh620 for scarves to about Dh5,000 for leather jackets.

What are the most commonly used fabrics and where are they sourced from?

Our fabrics change from season to season, but we have some mainstays. Silk is one of our specialities. It is woven especially for us to make sure that it’s light, but at the same time not transparent. Our other speciality is scarves. They are silk-modal [a type of rayon] and are sourced from China. The knits for our tops are also quite special. They are sourced from Turkey and anyone who feels them always comments on how soft they are. Similarly, our knits for trousers also come from Turkey and are incredibly light to wear.

What are the key ­characteristics of your most recent collection?

It’s a capsule collection, so the number of styles are limited. We started with 16 styles to introduce the brand. The colour palette consists of cool neutrals, greys, a few creamy shades and a lilac/pink shade to add some colour. In terms of detailing, all of our silk tops are French-seamed [an elegant way of concealing the seams of delicate fabrics] to give them a clean finish, and our knits are six-thread overlocked [a multiple-stitching technique]. This season we’ve also introduced two embroidery patterns. We take great pride in how our pieces are made, in a day and age where everything seems to be ­instantly available and easily ­disposable.

• To see the Twisted Roots collection, visit the brand’s atelier in Warehouse 20, Umm Suqeim road, Al Quoz 3 industrial district, Dubai. Call 04 321 6165 or visit www.twistedroots.ae