Egyptian designer Marmar Halim graduated top of her class from the Fashion Design Center in Cairo, in partnership with Milan’s Istituto di Moda Burgo before relocating to Dubai in 2012 with less than $1,000 in capital and an unshakeable belief in her own vision. What began as a home-based atelier has evolved into a globally recognised womenswear house, stocked at Harvey Nichols Dubai, Harvey Nichols Riyadh, Tryano Abu Dhabi and retailers across South Korea and the Netherlands. Halim’s aesthetic is one of effortless luxury: flowing, nature-inspired silhouettes in high-end fabrics that blend Eastern glamour with Western contemporary ease. Her work has been worn by Georgina Rodríguez, Sabrina Dhowre Elba and Elizabeth Olsen, and she has shown collections at Paris, London and Los Angeles fashion weeks. Her 2026 bridal collection, ‘1998’, is a love letter to nostalgia told through 12 emotionally charged silhouettes.
Leem
Founded in Saudi Arabia in 2018, Leem has become the Kingdom’s most internationally ambitious modest fashion brand, and the first Middle Eastern label to join Selfridges.com. Built around the belief that contemporary women deserve elegant, inclusive clothing that respects their values without compromising on style, Leem presents breezy separates, sculpted kaftans, fluid dresses and reimagined bisht coats in a palette that shifts seamlessly from everyday to occasion dressing. Since debuting at Paris Fashion Week in 2023, the brand has expanded across eight new global markets including the UK, France and Germany, with upcoming launches at Nordstrom and Macy’s bringing Leem firmly into the American conversation. It is, in the truest sense, Saudi fashion for the world.
Lama Jouni
