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The Josephine kaftan from Bambah is purple paisley viscose with a mandarin collar and wide sleeves that fall to the wrist, and it reaches the floor. It is free size and costs about $224. Maha Abdul Rasheed, who is Egyptian, founded Bambah in Dubai in 2010, and the label writes that its clothes are made for "your best friend's wedding" among other places.
Bambah
Bambah is a Dubai fashion line and boutique. Every piece here is about $224. The Josephine kaftan is unlined. The Blue Hazel ruffle dress is a floral with a tie neck, long ruffled bell sleeves and a ruffle at the hem, and the pink button-down dress has a shirt collar and long sleeves in a paisley-tile print; both come with a separate lining slip and are 56 inches long on the model. Orders go out in one to two working days and arrive by DHL in three to five, with duties paid on delivery.
- Purple Printed Josephine Kaftan, Bambah, AED 825 (about $224)
- Blue Hazel Ruffle Dress, Bambah, AED 825 (about $224)
Amina K
Amina Khalil studied fashion design and marketing in London, started Amina K in 2009 and opened a workshop of tailors in Cairo when she came home; the label has been run by women from the start. Her kaftans are woven in a cotton and wool mix and work over a long dress or trousers. The maxi wrap kaftan is grey with a shawl lapel, fringed sleeves and hem and a belt that comes off, about $328. The long Omda kaftan is ankle length and reversible, fringed at the sleeves, pockets and hem, about $268. Both are sent within a week.
- Maxi Wrap Kaftan, Amina K, EGP 15,600 (about $328)
- Long Omda Kaftan, Amina K, EGP 12,740 (about $268)
Reemami
Reema Al Banna entered a fashion competition at Sauce Boutique in 2010. "They pushed me to start my own line, and that's how Reemami was born," she told Arab News. Reemami works in its own experimental textile prints and sources fabric from family-run shops with old dead stock. The Maqlouba knitted dress is printed knit jersey to the ankle with half sleeves, a ribbed collar and ruching at the hips, part of the Tin of Olive Oil collection, about $653. Orders ship from Sharjah.
Dima Ayad
Lebanese designer Dima Ayad established her label in Dubai in 2010 and works mostly in metallics. The Chevron signature dress is black and maxi, with a chevron yoke worked in black and silver sequins, cape-like sleeves and a crew neck, about $699, in sizes XS to 4XL.
Shatha Essa
Shatha Essa is Shatha Essa Al Mulla's Dubai label, stocked at Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue among others. The palm tree embellished dress is orange-striped silk with a large palm tree embroidered in silver and green, full straight sleeves and matching embellishment at the cuffs, about $721. The floral embroidered dress is beige shibori-printed Tencel and linen over a silk satin inner dress, with wide dropped sleeves embroidered in silver thread, sequins and beads, about $722.
- Palm Tree Embellished Dress, Shatha Essa, AED 2,650 (about $721)
- Floral Embroidered Sleeve Detail Dress with Inner Dress, Shatha Essa, AED 2,655 (about $722)
The edit
— The editors
