HATEM ALAKEEL AND HIS ADVENTURES WITH THE SAUDI THOBE FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL
Jeddah, June 2011: The thobe industry has seen a tremendous change in the past few years, when the colors of Saudi Arabia’s national dress were limited to the traditional white and occasionally black or brown, with simple variations to the collar and buttons.
Today, the designers are being more innovative in order to satisfy their customers, creating thobes in a diverse range of colors and adding artistic decorative touches to give a unique and distinguished look.
These designers have achieved success not only among the trendy young, who are influenced by the world of the internet and mobile phones, but also among Saudi businessmen and prominent social figures who want to identify with today’s modern world.
Hatem Alakeel, the world famous designer of thobes and the owner of “Toby” boutiques, said: “Today, Arab men are more fashion conscious than previous generations and enjoy wearing thobes that express their personality in a distinctive way. This is why these non-traditional designs have become more popular and the demand for my thobes continues to increase.”
“My approach is to take the basic traditional thobe and rethink it to add those special creative touches that give each design its own individuality. A “Toby” thobe combines the true sense of the east with the spirit of the modern world and, made to perfection from only the finest materials, gives the owner a sense of pride when wearing it.”
“It is the originality of my creative process that has led the international press to name me the King of thobes, because they believe that my designs have crossed the limits of traditional boundaries and brought about a new local perception of the unlimited possibilities for personal expression, added Alakeel.
Growing up between Europe, the USA and Saudi Arabia, Hatem Alakeel has learned his craft and developed his creativity at international level, working as a designer and advisor for some of the world's most prestigious global brands.
His singular dynamic, aesthetic vision and a keen eye for artistic detail, expressed in his immaculately executed designs, have propelled “Toby” by Hatem Alakeel to the forefront of fashion, especially following the resounding success of his first collection, with which he made his debut at Dubai Fashion Week in 2008.
Hatem Alakeel, or the Middle Eastern Tom Ford as the media likes to call him, has raised the Saudi thobe to a new level of high fashion that can compete with the creations of the world’s most famous fashion houses and has succeeded in attracting a following of loyal clients who appreciate the finer things of life and demand only the best of everything.
Following the tremendous success achieved by the first “Toby” boutique at Prince Sultan Street in Jeddah, Alakeel opened his second “Toby” boutique at Rowdah Street, Jeddah, on 15th June with a launch party attended by his fashion forward clients and representatives from the media. Alakeel was personally involved in every detail of the boutique, from the interior design to the furniture and fittings, making it one of the finest boutiques in the city.
Previous story:
RSS Feed
