One Last Thing: Zaid Farouki on his hidden talent and favourite Arabic word

Dubai-based Palestinian designer has dressed everyone from Elyanna to Pharell Williams

Zaid Farouki prefers being out with friends than sitting at home on the sofa – just as long as there's not rave or electronic music playing. Photo: Zaid Farouki

Since graduating from Istituto Marangoni in Milan nearly a decade ago, Palestinian designer Zaid Farouki has been working on growing his eponymous fashion label.

An artist at heart, Farouki says he is inspired by a number of sources, including French painter Claude Monet. Or more precisely, the artist’s obsessional approach to work – such as with his lilies, which he painted into 250 pieces of art.

Today, Farouki’s clothes have appeared on the red carpet at the Grammys and have been worn by everyone from fellow Palestinian artists Elyanna and Zeyne to global entertainment and fashion icons like Pharrell Williams and Iris Apfel. He credits his approach to “creating pieces that transcend borders and bring together different elements of culture, design and sustainability”, for his success.

We met him at his Dubai studio, where he answered the questions for Luxury magazine’s One Last Thing.

What is your favourite time of the day and why?

Sunrise, I feel like I’ve taken a hold of the day.

What is your favourite restaurant anywhere in the world?

Too many chef friends, I can’t pick one! I’d say our grandmothers’ kitchens is the number one restaurant. Coming from agricultural societies, they teach us about ingredients, seasonality, cultural significance and history in one dish. They preserved who we are as a history and culture. Teta (grandmother) is the OG Chef’s Table.

When was the first time you realised your parents were human?

When I realised they always did the best they could do to the best of their ability.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be able to mentor and guide younger creatives pursuing a career and life in the creative industry – support artisans, create works for the sake of creating.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I used to paint and sculpt before I turned to fashion.

Your favourite book?

A cliche, but The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

What type of music can’t you stand?

Electronic and rave.

What puts you in a bad mood?

When I am not in a creative mood, when I have no output, I get really frustrated.

Zaid Farouki at his studio in Dubai. Photo: Zaid Farouki

What can you not live without?

My phone, I need to connect with my family and friends at all times.

Dream dinner guests?

Honestly, a huge dinner with family and friends, on a cold winter night, people coming in and staying and just having a huge get together for people I love, respect and care about.

Sitting on the sofa or out with friends?

Out with friends.

Any words to live by?

Find your chosen tribe, dream of hope, a future and a remarkable life to look back on.

What smell takes you straight back to childhood?

I think the smell of dough – dough-making in general.

What food takes you back to childhood?

Gelato and ice cream. Have you ever looked at someone eating ice cream from an ice cream parlour? No matter how old or who they are, you see a child in them emerge when they start eating the cone in full excitement.

Which city do you love but would hate to live in?

New York.

Farouki’s clothes have appeared on international red carpets and have been worn by everyone from Elyanna and Zeyne to Pharrell Williams and Iris Apfel. Photo: Zaid Farouki

Can you play a musical instrument?

No, not any more. I used to play the violin as a child.

Have you ever been on a motorcycle?

Never, too scared.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

No table etiquette.

Do you believe in aliens?

No.

What is the most niche thing you watch on YouTube?

Sewing, embroidery tricks and hacks.

What is your favourite Arabic word?

Ishq – a step above love, but not infatuation.

How do you take your tea?

Black, unsweetened with mint.

What makes you cry?

Inhumanity, loss of hope … but the feeling of hope and its power too.

What do social algorithms think you’re interested in?

Fitness, sewing tricks and Sagittarius memes, as well as fashion reviews.

TikTok or Instagram?

Instagram.

What is one thing about you that would surprise people?

How calm and quiet in social settings I can be.

What was the last thing you did for the first time?

That is a tough question. It’s been so long that I can’t remember, actually.