Since he launched his avant-garde thobe label Toby in 2008, Saudi-based designer Hatem Alakeel’s designs have attracted unexpected admirers.
“Snoop Dogg contacted me almost five years ago when he came to Abu Dhabi,” he says. “He was interested in my collection and when we met, he was very respectful of the region, very worldly and cultured. I was blown away by how educated he was about the Middle East.
"When he returned to the United States, he wore my tuxedo thobe for a concert, and in the 2013 Here Comes The King video he wears different pieces from Toby in every scene."
Sharp lines, crisp silhouettes and a bold colour palette have defined Toby’s menswear and childrenswear aesthetic since the start, attracting much critical acclaim.
Buoyed by the success of the label, which is popular among Saudis and Emiratis, Alakeel cautiously ventured into womenswear three years ago. The experience was a humbling one, which sent him back to the drawing board until this year, when he unveiled his new line for spring/summer 2016.
“I wasn’t completely happy with my previous collections for women,” he says. “I felt I made some mistakes and now I finally think I’ve got it right.
“I got plenty of first-hand feedback from my female clients about what was working and what wasn’t. Some of them were actually quite mad at me. They liked what I was making for their husbands and kids but couldn’t find something for themselves. The pieces didn’t fit them and that’s when things changed.”
Alakeel rethought the entire look and feel of his womenswear which, until that point, had been created with a wasp-waisted muse in mind.
“I imagined someone who was very thin, like a supermodel,” he says. “These types of women are not the norm and I no longer design for them. I now have a much better understanding of the different types of women in the region, their size, shape and aesthetic. I’m much more sensitive towards what they like – and that’s made all the difference.”
The new range, which was launched in June, is a capsule collection of 15 pieces, mostly long kimono-inspired jackets fashioned from luxurious linens.
The palette flits from beige and sandy gold to blush pink, powder blue and navy. Accents are subtle, playing out in geometric collars and tone-on-tone embroidery.
“It’s still very much the Toby look, which is very minimalist and simple in its imagery,” says Alakeel. “From the cut to the fabric, it’s all very architectural. I’ll never be a ‘frou-frou’ brand and wanted to stick to what I do best which is a pronounced and polished cut. I was also inspired by Japanese art and many pieces have peacock motifs as their focal point.”
Alakeel spent much of his early life in Switzerland and his travels continue to be a source of inspiration when he works. His new femme collection is called Paon – French for peacock – and the women snapping up his designs hail from Europe, South Africa, North America and the GCC.
“Clients are wearing these pieces on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, Sloane Street in London as well as locally,” he says. “They are no-fuss, easy-to-wear pieces – and I don’t call them abayas because that’s far too limiting. Why do abayas have to be a black coat made out silk? The worst thing is to be told, ‘You’re a good abaya or thobe designer.’ I’m just a designer, and I’d like to think of myself as an artist because art is purely subjective – just like fashion.”
The next six months will be busy for Alakeel, who continues to split his time between Saudi Arabia and meeting clients in the UAE. He’s also expanding his women’s range to include cropped linen bomber jackets – choice pieces he hopes might catch the eye of Vogue Arabia’s new editor-in-chief, the Saudi Arabian princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz.
“She is an amazing style icon for the region,” he says. “In terms of who she is and what she represents, she hits the fashion nail on the head.”
• Prices range from Dh1,200 to 4,000. For online orders and UAE delivery, email info@urtoby.com or go to www.urtoby.com
rduane@thenational.ae
