Qatar’s only ready-to-wear brand, 1309, is pushing sustainability and fashion forward. Its founder and creative director, Ghada Al Subaey, shares that its textiles are vegan, packaging is biodegradable, and it practices zero waste. “I want to empower the Arab woman,” states Al Subaey of her vision. “Throughout the years, we’ve dressed in brands from the West – but what do we want to wear? And how do we make it contemporary and even futuristic?”

Fashion designer Ghada Al Subaey, the founder and creative director of the up-and-comingQatari brand 1309, is on a mission to make the abaya a mainstream fashion fixture. She wants to turn it into a wardrobe staple to be worn and appreciated in its own right, not just a garment to be worn over something else. But the Young DesignerArab Woman Awardwinner is also focused on using her brand as the lynchpin for something bigger. She sees it as a sartorial touchstone that is “revolutionising the way women think about fashion in Qatar”.

Ghada Al Subaeyis the very active and always surprising president and creative director of1309, a ready-to-wear label that embodies both the cool and the contemporary, established in 2015. The collections she creates, a pure celebration of women, draw inspiration from art, nature, and global culture, and her brand combines designs that embody fluidity with an elegant approach; a refined statement that constantly beautifies women and glorifies their characters.

1309 is a Qatar-based ready-to-wear label, presenting collections inspired by, and in celebration of women. Established in 2015, the brand is grounded in a ‘contemporary bohemian’ aesthetic, established by Founder and Creative Director of the brand, Ghada Al Subaey.