Visionary Bahraini fashion designer, Hala Kaiksow, has created a brand that most conscious consumers can find solace in – a brand that defies the practice of mass production, is rooted in tradition and promotes sustainability. She tells Farah Baig about the brand’s history and more.
Changing consumer habits, widespread digitisation and the mammoth growth of e-commerce platforms have increased the consumption and procurement of products ten-fold, nurturing a trend that is far from sustainable. Needless to say, these changes have been felt in the fashion industry too with the rapid growth of fast fashion brands.
Eco-consciousness is, undoubtedly, the need of the hour as the world gets together to address the adverse effects of climate change; so, it’s refreshing when a forward-thinking designer like Hala Kaiksow, the young Bahraini woman behind the brand of the same name, decides to weave her own path in the industry.
“I think a sustainable and minimal-waste approach is the necessary in the fashion industry. It is one of the most polluting industries, and there needs to be a shift. Mindful consumption and creation should be the only way moving forward but it takes a lot of re-education on both sides: the companies and consumers,” says Ms. Kaiksow.
The creative designer has a hands on, traditional approach when creating the pieces in each of her collections. “My company started as an extension of my masters project in which I was exploring alternative ways of making clothing in our mass-produced world today. I was yearning to reintegrate the touch of a hand and human feel back into garments,” says Ms. Kaiksow.
“Tradition is important to me when it comes to my creative process. I value the way things were once made to last a lifetime, and so it became a goal of ours to do that as well,” she adds.
Hala Kaiksow is a brand that stands out in the region with its earthy natural dyes, hand-woven fabrics and hand-sewn garments. “At our studio we aim to celebrate all that is handmade and natural in any way we can. This is through the fibers we use, dyes we integrate, and ways in which we make our designs. We aim to give garments a soul that they seem to have lost over time,” she says with poise.
“We often work with natural fabrics, and create our own textiles with weavers around the world. Including our talented weavers here in Bahrain. I draw inspiration from a myriad of sources, but if I had to pick one maybe the past – history,” she adds.
In an interesting turn of events, Hala Kaiksow’s latest collection, AlHajr, was created during the pandemic. “Amidst our studio quarantine we had to each create our parts individually and have our tailor put everything together. With this collection I really wanted to push the bounds of garment making so the entire collection is created by hand. No machines were used, which means it took hundreds of hours of work to put together but I think it came together nicely,” she explains.
The brand is notably an exhibitor at the Bahrain Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai which is drawing worldwide attention. “We got the opportunity to collaborate with the Bahrain Pavilion to create the garments that were worn by the exhibitors of the space meaning the volunteers, as well as the cafe staff. As a Bahraini designer, being able to share my craft at an event of this magnitude has been an amazing opportunity that is incredibly humbling,” she says modestly.
“We wanted to create a collection that spoke to the space and fit into it, as everyone entering the pavilion would see them instantly,” she explains.
The structure of the Bahrain pavilion consists of 126 metal columns which support each other and the roof – a poetic nod to the concept of connectivity. “Hence, we also created our textiles accordingly to reflect the architecture of the pavilion, even managing to weave metal into them,” says the designer who doesn’t shy away from innovation.
“We are busy working on a few projects now and are excited to reveal them next year!” concludes Ms. Kaiksow.
