Blurred Lines: How Omar Ashour Is Breaking Boundaries With His Take on The Arab Thobe
As gender lines fade in the fashion industry, the designer introduces a feminine take on the traditional dress
The aesthetic differences between what has traditionally been dubbed ‘women’s’ and ‘men’s’ fashion are becoming more and more nebulous for some time now, allowing far more creative freedom for both the consumer and designers around the world. Ever since the legendary Yves Saint Laurent rebelled against the status quo in the 1960s by introducing the famous Le Smoking tuxedo suit for women, rules have been broken or at the very least bent, culminating most recently in the rise of genderless fashion.
Not one to be left behind, Saudi thobe maker Omar Ashour threw his hat in the ring with a unique take on the traditional Saudi men’s thobe. By fashioning it for women, he may well have birthed the KSA equivalent of 1980s Western power dressing – minus the oversized shoulder pads, of course.
In 2017, Omar founded his eponymous fashion line, providing exclusive and upon-request Saudi thobes for men with a critical eye for detail and a demand for quality. “I’m not satisfied with the quality of thobes in the market, nor find them elegant enough to represent our Saudi national costume,” Omar says. “This is why Dar Omar Ashour was established. Our designs meet high standards based on classic designs and professional dressmaking.”
Following in the footsteps of iconic brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Ralph Lauren – all of whom famously played with the concept of masculine vs. feminine dress codes – Omar is inspired by the idea of creating womenswear within a menswear framework. “I didn’t come up with a novel invention!” he laughs.
“The Kingdom has an outstanding costume, so why not introduce a feminine version of it while keeping the spirit and originality of the Saudi thobe? This is exactly what we created: a simple yet elegant design with a powerful imprint of sophistication and empowerment. The conservative design of this piece may also replace the abaya.”
Saudi entrepreneur and Contributing Fashion Editor of Harper’s Bazaar Saudi, Marriam Mossalli, was the first to wear the female thobe designed by Omar nearly a decade ago, way before the establishment of his brand. “This was part of a collaboration with Swarovski for a show held in Armani Hotel Dubai,” he explains.
Most recently, Saudi fashion influencer, Nirvana Abdul, modelled Omar’s designs in this – a photoshoot in Al Wahbah near Medina. “Nirvana is one of the best representatives to wear the clothes I’ve designed,” Omar explains, adding, “She is aware of the message these pieces hold.”
The designer first met Nirvana in 2018. For Nirvana, whose androgynous, pixie-cropped hair has become somewhat iconic, as well as her resolutely casual style, these clothes were the perfect fit. “I love wearing men’s clothing,” she admits. “In fact, I’ve never actually ever bought any white shirts, as I borrow them from my husband’s wardrobe.”
Some traditionalists may denounce such overlap between women’s and men’s fashion in Arab societies. Indeed, Omar’s designs were met with widespread criticism when he designed his very first thobe, which he wore to his high school graduation ceremony back in the ’90s. Omar recalls the experience: “I had the thobe tailored at a women’s fashion shop since nobody agreed to make it for me at first.
The thobe had a simple, more classically ‘feminine’ touch with puff sleeves and a Chinese-inspired collar, for which I was criticised.” Similarly, Nirvana received accusations of ‘imitating men’, after posting a photo wearing the thobe on Instagram. In response to these comments, Nirvana stressed, “The thobe is basically a long garment worn by both men and women, but the occurring social changes made it exclusive to men, which is a form of narrow-mindedness.
In some cultures, only women wear thobes, while in Scotland, for example, men’s traditional costume is the kilt, which is similar to a skirt. In some areas of the Arabian Gulf, men wear overalls (wizrah), so I do not really see the difference between some women’s and men’s fashion.”When asked about her feelings when wearing this thobe, Nirvana immediately answers, “I felt powerful.
Fashion is not merely pieces of clothing we wear, but a statement. Women today are standing exactly where men are, but this does not mean that one has to dominate the other. We should rather work hand-in-hand and support one another.” For Nirvana, this explains another argument that supports the sustainability of unisex fashion.
With more than ten thobes in her wardrobe that she intends to keep for many years, she notes, “These pieces are made using the same materials, minimising fashion waste, which is very important to me.” Nirvana’s shoot in Omar’s creations she tells us was a unique experience for her; one which she carefully chose the location for despite the difficulty of accessing the Al Wahbah crater (also called Maqla’a Ṭamiyyah); a deep hole in the ground with a three-kilometre circular diameter and a depth of 380 metres.
Considered the largest of its kind in the Middle East, the crater is a four-hour drive from Jeddah. “This photo shoot was an unforgettable adventure, yielding stunning photos that surpassed all my expectations,” she says. Still to come is a special collection of women’s thobes that Omar is soon to launch in collaboration with Nirvana. She says, “Although the project is still in its early stages, I am very excited for it to be revealed.” She and us, both.
Photography by Lina Mo
From Harper’s Bazaar Saudi Summer 2021 issue.