ROLE MODEL: Naeema Al-Shuhail describes herself as one of Saudi Arabia’s first women fashion designers. (AN photo)

One of the Eastern Province's businesswomen pioneers is undoubtedly Naeema Al-Shuhail. Opening her first boutique 33 years ago in her native Al-Hasa, she describes herself as one of the first women fashion designers. A former member of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (2006), she has taken part in various conferences, fashion shows and charity events in Saudi Arabia and abroad. She opened the Al-Kadem Fashion Boutique at Al-Rashid Mall in Alkhobar in 2007. She is also a prominent member of the “Business Women’s Forum of the Eastern Province.”

Although many designers take a mass-market approach, Al-Shuhail's work is a modern adaptation of the region's age-old tradition of handwork, as evidenced by the vintage jackets of her Al-Kadem brand. "Love is the source of inspiration in my design," Al-Shuhail told Arab News. "Each and every jacket is unique in its own way. It is hand-woven and therefore every jacket is a unique story of a human life. It reflects the spirit of the East with its magnificent history. My jackets tell the story of the past and embrace the future."

Al-Shuhail said her work appeals to many women. "Part of my mission as a fashion designer is to combine the traditional with the modern," she said. "Through my creations, I try to convey the characteristics of a modest, modern and educated Arab Muslim woman. Modern does not mean giving up our past. I want to retain my identity."

Her business model provides an outlet for women preserving the handicrafts of another era. "I am fascinated by the work of those traditional women in Qassim, Al-Hasa, or anywhere else. I buy their work and then turn it into gorgeous jackets," Al-Shuhail said.

"I create something that nobody has made before. This generates income for the women as well, and it also leads to their work being recognized. I don't buy their things as an act of charity. I do it with lot of pride. After all, what they are doing is unique -- something that not everyone can do. At the same time, I am preserving a unique art -- an art that will die if we do not protect and popularize it. The jackets and other things that I create can be worn in London or New York or Riyadh."

Al-Shuhail said there would always be a niche for her work. "Readymade items will never have that feeling of warmth," she said. "These handmade pieces have a special feeling. They tell a story, either of sorrow, love or pathos. Each work is unique and has a spirit of its own. No two creations are alike and that is their beauty."

Her first store was a fabric shop in Al-Hasa at a time in the Kingdom where there was not much regulation of small business. "All the rules came much later, so I did not face much difficulty 30 years ago," Al-Shuhail said. "Of course, my family supported me through and through. I was a teacher, and after I finished school I had a lot of time on my hands, so I thought I would do what I was passionate about -- fashion designing. I traveled to India, Hong Kong, Italy, Switzerland -- all over -- in search of hand-woven items. My mother always went with me."

As many businesswomen note, problems with bureaucracy have forced her to locate her manufacturing outside the Kingdom. "I don't have many people working for me here now -- visa problems," she said. "It is not easy to get visas here, so I have a workshop in Lebanon now."

Al-Shuhail sees no conflict between traditional fashion and modern trends. "People here travel a lot. You don't find everybody here during summer vacations," she said. "We go for three months to all kinds of places, and people are exposed to new fashions trends. People here have always been very conscious of fashion trends abroad."

She has no problem with Western fashion and believes there should be a free marketplace, allowing the consumer the choice to select whatever appeals. "If they like it, let them wear it," Al-Shuhail said. "Don't stop them, but if you want them to wear modern clothing with a blend of traditional, then provide that in the market. People will wear what is available. My customers are of all ages. Young girls love my work, which means if you have good quality things available in the market, they will go for it. Unfortunately, I don't do things on a mass scale."

Al-Shuhail said there was a little bit of her in every Al-Kadem jacket that is sold. "I feel bad when I part with them," she said. "It is like a baby going away. Because I take so much effort in every single piece, I feel emotionally attached to it. People tell me that they still have the things they bought from me years ago. That gives me immense satisfaction."