Embroidery at its finest in Mochi designs

Palestinian fashion designer Ayah Tabari founded Mochi only a year ago and ever since it has become a huge part of my life, as well as of other fashion lovers in the GCC. To the designer, the brand is a fresh, young concept for fashion lovers all over the world.
The meaning of Mochi is chain-stitch embroidery, which is exactly what the brand is all about. “The whole concept of the brand is based around embroidered fabrics, I normally travel to a new destination for every collection and source really fun, beautiful fabrics that are full of embroidery and then I create my pieces,” Tabari said.
She reveals more about her brand in an interview with Arab News:

What is the history behind the brand?
It all started when I was traveling in Jaipur, I fell in love with the fabrics that I had come across. They were full of amazing embroidery that the local artisans worked on. It was at that moment I came up with the concept of Mochi.

Where is the brand based and where does it sell?
The brand is based in Dubai, I currently stock in Sauce Dubai, Abu Dhabi, The Yard Kuwait and Jasmine Box Jeddah. My website will be launching very soon so people can order internationally via www.allthingsmochi.com.

What makes Mochi special?
The concept as a whole is unique. Every season I travel to a new destination to source my fabrics and then I design the styles for the collection based on the fabrics. The brand is fun, it’s playful and no one takes it too seriously, everyone that wear’s Mochi knows that it’s all about having fun with their pieces.

What inspires you when designing a new line?
The country where I source my fabrics from is my main inspiration but absolutely everything inspires me, from art to the beach to the color of the sky.

Who do your designs target?
Confident, fun girls who aren’t scared of wearing bold and bright colors and who love to take risks.

What do you think attracts your clients to the brand? The colors, texture, embroidery or quality?
I think Mochi is a fresh brand and people around the region are always excited for something new. I think they relate to the fact that it’s such a fun young brand that they want to be associated with. The bright bold colors are definitely appealing, every piece is so wearable.

How would you describe Mochi’s style?
It is easy to wear and you can either dress up or dress down. Mochi is perfect for both day and night and is really fun to play around with, you can pair a skirt with a nice shirt or even a cropped T-shirt — that’s the fun part of Mochi, you get to play around with the pieces.

What are the fabrics and materials you use in your designs?
Most of the fabrics are vintage fabrics, one of the most interesting parts of my job is looking for the perfect fabric whilst exploring my chosen destination. It depends on which part of the world the fabric is from.

How much time does it take for you to design one of your clothing items?
Not long to be honest, once I’ve chosen the materials all the designs come to me quite easily. I definitely design everything based around the particular embroidery.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently trying to decide which country I’d like to base my next collection on, it’s a really exciting time for me!

Where do you wish to sell your clothing line next?
I’d love for Mochi to reach international stores and boutiques, that’s where I’d like to see it.

What are your future plans?
I like to take every day as it comes. Mochi is my passion and it’s all I want to concentrate on for now.

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