In a world filled with competitivity, it is not easy to stand-out as a brand. It is even more difficult when you are a small label trying to make it in the Fashion world. Privilege, a contemporary Bahraini brand, was however successfully able to break through the Abaya market – another challenging area in the GCC clothing industry – and make a difference with their unique designs. We sat with the brand and evoked some challenges and milestones in an interesting interview…
What’s the inspiration behind your brand?
Each collection focuses on a different angle of inspiration, but if I had to choose one, I would definitely go with emboldened femininity & timeless elegance.
How would you describe your designs?
Timeless, creative & luxurious
In your opinion, what makes your brand stand out?
I believe what distinguishes us from other brands is that we try to stay away from temporary trends as much as possible, moreover, the quality and authentic design of our pieces could last a client a really long time, transcending seasons and overcoming trends.
Moreover, every design we work on reflects passion and true soulfulness.
Did you notice any change in the costumer’s behavior when it comes to buying Abayas during and after covid-19? How did this impact your brand?
We noticed a few weeks of slow sales during the lockdown but things bounced back to normal as the situation got better.
What has been your biggest struggle as a “Abaya” brand and how did you overcome it?
During my first year of being a fashion designer, I couldn’t identify my customer base properly. As I grew with the fashion industry, I realized the biggest mistake was to target a wide niche of clients, creating a narrow & targeted customer niche is the way to go when it comes to high end fashion.
The GCC market is witnessing an increased number of Abaya brands nowadays. Does this competitively affect you and if so, how do you manage it?
Of course, it does, but on the other hand, competition becomes more irrelevant once you position your brand properly & create an authentic feel to it.
In your opinion, how did the Abaya trend evolve with time, and what do women look for when buying Abayas nowadays, based on your experience with clients?
Through my experience, people now are far more aware of market trends and quality, authenticity & timeless sensibility of an item. Clients are no longer paying for an item, they are paying for a feel, an experience & a lifestyle.
All that is driven from the brand image & how it positions itself in the audience’ eyes.
Moreover, people nowadays are more aware of the slow fashion movement, the focus is shifting slowly towards investing in long term clothing as opposed to short term, trendy or poorly tailored clothing, even though it could be a bit on the pricier side.
Do you think that the Abaya market will remain limited to the GCC or will it expand globally at some point?
We already ship internationally & have multiple returning customers from all over the world.
Where do you see your brand 5 years from now?
I see my brand giving back more, making a global difference & engaging with more people.
What’s your message to all the new small clothing brands out there who are trying to make it nowadays in a very competitive market?
Stay authentic, be creative, don’t copy & work on building a strong relationship with clients.
Check out Privilege designs in our pop-up shop!
