Celebrating traditional Emirati dress: Clothing once owned by sheikhas brought out of storage for one-off shoot

In a special collaboration, 'The National' presents pieces from the archive of The Zay Initiative, the region's most comprehensive collection of traditional outfits

A bias-cut thawb kandurah with diamond designs echoes Art Deco motifs, in shades of pale pink, ivory and lightest blue. Dating from 2011, this silk gown is decorated with crystals and metallic threads, and was a gift from Sheikha Moza bint Mubarak Al Nahyan, wife of Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. It is worn here with ankle boots by Christian Louboutin. Credits - Photographer: Moez Achour; fashion director: Sarah Maisey; models: Cynthia and Mari at MMG Models; hair and make-up: Sharon Drugan

Part of the Artist series, this hand-painted piece was created by artist Najat Makki in 2018, and was made into a kandurah overlaid with a shimmering thawb. It is worn with boots by Christian Louboutin.

A striped silk kandurah with integrated thawb, circa 2011. Embellished with crystals and metallic threads, it was a gift to The Zay Initiative from Sheikha Fakhra Bint Saeed Al Nahyan, wife of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Heavily embellished with gold embroidery down the front and at the cuffs, this silk combined thawb kandurah is scattered with crystals and metallic threads. It dates from 2011, and was a gift to the initiative from Sheikha Dr Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan.

Created in 2019 for the Year of Tolerance, this thawb kandurah is covered with a ghaf tree motif. Unusually, the neck of the thawb has been left plain to create a silhouette effect of the kandurah underneath. It was a gift to The Zay Initiative by Emirati fashion designer Lubna Lootah.

Once owned by Shaikha bint Ali Al Za’abi, this gold and black tunic kandurah and matching thawb date back to 1990. The shayla, which is heavy with mzarai metal work, is from circa 1988 to 1994. Ankle boots as before.

Another piece from the Artist collection, this was painted by the UAE’s Khulood Al Jabri, over a four-hour period. Here, it is worn with fringed boots by Christian Louboutin.

In 2018, The Zay Initiative invited female UAE artists to hand-paint silk panels, which were then transformed into kandurahs and thawbs. This piece, marked with a beautiful butterfly motif, was created by Amalie Beljafla.

Created in three layers, this embellished thawb kandurah featured in the exhibition accompanying the launch of the book 'Sultani, Traditions Renewed: Changes in Women’s Traditional Dress in the UAE During the Reign of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan 1966-2004', by Dr Reem El Mutwalli. Made from heavily embellished silk, it was a gift from Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, wife of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

A blue, gold and silver Indian mzarai brocade kandurah (worn underneath) from circa 1978 was a gift from Fatima Al Hashmi in memory of her mother-in-law, the late Inayah bint Salih Al Muhairi. Over the top is an orange mesh thawb from 1971, once owned by Mariam Khalfan Mohammed Al Maydi Al Bidwawi from Hatta. It is worn with laced boots by Salvatore Ferragamo.

In a unique collaboration, The National's Luxury magazine was granted rare access to the archive of The Zay Initiative, an expansive collection of traditional clothing from across the region, collated by Dr Reem El Mutwalli.

The aim is to place a spotlight on the incredible wealth of clothing from this part of the world, so two collections were taken out of storage for the day.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the Luxury shoot.

First are precious bespoke looks once owned by sheikhas and other high-profile Emirati women, who passed them on them to The Zay Initiative.

The second is the Artist series, where The Zay Initiative asked female artists in the UAE to hand-paint a silk panel that was then transformed into a 'thawb kandurah'.

Dedicated to collecting and documenting the rich history of clothing in this region, The Zay Initiative also records the deeply personal stories that go with each piece, from how it was made to who owned it. As the UAE races into the 21st century, much of this sartorial knowledge risks being lost.

An expert in her field, Dr El Mutwalli spent 20 years collating at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, where she built the Sultani Collection, on which The Zay Initiative was founded. Raised in the UAE and holding a PhD in Islamic Art, Dr El Mutwalli is uniquely placed to help preserve this priceless heritage.