DUBAI: From a fashion label to international brand collaborations, Dubai-based influencer Merihan Dobiea has been working hard to make a name for herself in the highly competitive fashion industry.
The Egyptian blogger started her career four years ago, and already has garnered partnerships and brand deals with Swedish label Daniel Wellington and US footwear label New Balance among others.
Dobiea, 23, recently launched the fashion label Threadz by Marmar.
The brand, which went live in April, offers kaftans, dresses and abayas that can be worn by all women, not only conservative buyers, according to the young entrepreneur.
“People say, ‘we see this stuff in the market, but every single piece has a different twist that you added that we can’t find in the market,’” Dobiea told Arab News.
A month after the launch, the influencer said the feedback has been “amazing.”
“I am getting orders from around the world — from the UK, Canada, Algeria, Egypt,” she said. “And a lot of customers are emailing me, praising the quality and packaging.”
To add a personal touch to the brand, Dobiea also sells two perfumes: Amani, named after her mother, and Layla, named after her niece.
Her passion for fashion and design goes back to her childhood.
“I have pictures in my mom’s heels and her dresses. I always liked to apply lipstick as a kid. So, I feel like it was something that was just meant to happen after time,” she said.
The idea for her fashion brand came after she struggled to find something for Ramadan to wear.
“I decided to start making my own stuff. I knew where the fabric shops were. So I went to get clothes that I liked and I used to take them to a tailor,” Dobiea said.
After explaining her designs to the tailor, she began wearing the finished product.
“People were like, ‘Wow, that’s so nice. Where did you get it from?’ and I’d always be like, ‘Oh, I just made it by myself,’” said Dobiea.
“Eventually my friends wanted to start wearing what I was wearing and I started making them pieces. Then it just got out of hand to be honest, but in a good way. So I started selling online.”
Dobiea began selling a few items on Instagram under a different brand name. But during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, she worked on the branding, quality and designs of her new brand, Threadz by Marmar.
The designer is set to release a new Eid collection, just in time for the holiday.
