Manal Ajaj
Manal Ajaj | |
|---|---|
منال عجاج | |
| Born | 1978 (age 47–48) |
| Known for | Alphabet of Jasmine exhibitions |
| Label(s) | Manal de la Moda, Manolia |
| Awards | Ishtar of Syria (2015) |
Manal Ajaj (Arabic: منال عجاج; born 1978) is a Syrian fashion designer.[1][2] She lives in Dubai.[3]
Early life and education
Manal Ajaj was born in 1978.[4] She practised sewing from a very young age and began working in embroidery in the old quarters of Damascus at the age of ten.[4] She designed and presented her first complete wedding gown at the age of fourteen.[5][6]
Career
At the age of fifteen, she moved to Kuwait to work at Dar'Samalia Fashion House,[4] where she was considered the youngest designer. She continued working there for five years.
At twenty, she returned to Damascus and opened a small atelier. She later travelled to Italy and Thailand to refine her skills, before moving to Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE, where she launched Manal de la Moda, which became one of the largest fashion houses in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. She also launched her own brand, Manolia, with its main branch in Damascus.[5]
During the Los Angeles Summer Exhibition (2015), part of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Festival, Ajaj presented fifteen diverse designs distinguished by their quality and style. She used fabrics such as lace, tulle and organza, in summer colours such as pink, white and red.[7]
In her Alphabet of Jasmine exhibitions (2014 and 2015), she presented innovative collections inspired by successive Syrian civilisations: Alphabet of Jasmine I (2014) in Berlin, Alphabet of Jasmine II in Beirut, and Alphabet of Jasmine III in Los Angeles.[8][9]
Titles and awards
- 2015: Received the title "Ishtar of Syria" for her Alphabet of Jasmine show in Berlin, which was attended by ambassadors despite the diplomatic tensions surrounding Syria.[10]
Initiatives
During the 2020 lockdown, Ajaj launched a charitable initiative to teach sewing free of charge to aspiring designers, presenting twenty designs that subsequently won awards.[11]
References
- ^ "In pictures: Dubai-based Syrian fashion designer Manal Ajaj show in Beirut". Arabian Business. 16 October 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.
- ^ ""موضة" الإستفزاز.. على "خشبة" النظام" [The "Trend" of Provocation... on the Regime's "Stage"]. Lebanese-Forces.com.
- ^ "منال عجاج.. فساتين مستوحاة من الحضارات" [Manal Ajaj: Dresses Inspired by Civilizations]. Al Bayan. Dubai Media Inc. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03.
- ^ a b c "منال عجاج" [Manal Ajaj]. talksbelarabi.com. Archived from the original on 2025-08-10.
- ^ a b Houssari, Najia (14 October 2017). "Designer causes anger by dressing models in Syrian regime uniforms". Arab News.
- ^ "مصممة الأزياء منال عجاج تنشر "الياسمين" خلال أسبوع الموضة في بيروت".
- ^ Saad, Katia (15 February 2022). "Big Ben في قلب تصميم منال عجاج" [Big Ben at the heart of Manal Ajaj's design]. Monte Carlo International. Monte Carlo Doualiya.
- ^ "منال عجاج تبهر الحضور في لوس أنجلوس وتكشف تصاميمها لصيف 2015". LebanonFiles.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-11.
- ^ "منال عجاج تكشف تصاميمها لصيف 2015 في بيفرلي هيلز لوس أنجلوس" [Manal Ajaj unveils her designs for Summer 2015 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles]. alwatanvoice.com. 6 April 2015.
- ^ "المصممة السورية منال عجاج إلى العالمية بجدارة في فن صناعة الأزياء والجمال" [Syrian designer Manal Ajaj has deservedly achieved international recognition in the art of fashion and beauty]. alnahar.news. Archived from the original on 2024-08-06.
- ^ "King's Blossoms Power Campaign to Support Cancer Fighters with Manal Ajaj". news.sbisiali.com.