C0NCEPT

#H

OMEGROWNDXB

w w w.c o n c e p t d x b.c o m

W ELCOME TO

C0NCEPT
Concept is a collaboration of young homegrown entrepreneurs
in the art, fashion and food industries. A group of powerful
women who saw a niche in the market for a community of
support and collaborations for the homegrown businesses in
Dubai, especially those run by women.
Concept supports brands that stand out and make it to what
we call the second phase in such competitive markets. A good
product or service, strong branding, efficient operations, and
product marketing are what we believe allow businesses to
grow towards the second phase.
Our Founders are consistently engaged in creating support
structures that allow the members of Concept as well as other
homegrown businesses to take advantage of group marketing,
product or service collaborations, and event productions such
as Pop Up events.
We are hoping that with this support structure, we can help
each other and other brands to grow locally and to have the
opportunity to reach a global market.

FOUNDING BRANDS

MEET THE TEAM BEHIND

C0NCEPT
Concept, is about a community of entrepreneurs that have
grown up in Dubai and have successfully built their own brands
and concepts here. Dubai has always had a special place
in our hearts and hence we have chosen to build our own
homegrown businesses to develop what Dubai has to offer in the
fashion, art, and food industries. Our team not only comprises
of entrepreneurs, we are also lucky to have professionals within
our group that keep the communitys interests at mind and
heart. This allows us to take the essential legal steps before
tapping into new markets, alongside agencies that provide us
with guidance and advice which enable us to become a more
efficient community and make a difference in the city that we
love.

Zeina Abdalla
As the Founder and Managing Director
of fishfayce, a photography and video
event solution company, and co-founder
of UAE based party supplies company
Moushii, Zeina Abdalla has incorporated
her passions into two successful UAE based
businesses.
Using skills she cultivated in a two-year
tenure at Hill & Knowlton, one of the worlds
largest public relations and public affairs
networks, Abdalla launched fishfayce, the
first service of its kind in the United Arab
Emirates in 2010. Within the first few years in
business, the U.S. born, Sudan and Canadaraised entrepreneur has been nominated
for the Emirates Womans ADCB Ambition
Award 2010, Arabian Business SME of the
year Award 2014, Bespoke Magazines
Living Award, Ahlan! Hot 100 award, SME
Advisor Ones to Watch Award, Emirates Woman Achievers Award 2012, the SME Advisor
Award Arab Entrepreneur of the Year and was the winner of the Olay Arabias Power
Seven in 2011. fishfayce has already become a major attraction at corporate events
held by international companies including Hermes, Blackberry, Chanel, Benefit, Sephora,
Level Shoe District, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier, Bloomingdales, Missoni and Adidas among
many others.
Not one to rest on her laurels, 2015 has seen Zeina focus on expanding the service
offering (to a total of nine photography and videography concepts and counting)
and geographical reach of fishfayce, as well as launching UAE based party supplies
company Moushii. Moushii was created to help people celebrate lifes occasions. Zeina
identified a gap in the UAE market for good quality and unique party supplies.
Moushii was launched to offer individuals and party planners, ready to go, customised
and personalised party packs, which include all of the supplies and decorations needed
to put together that special event.
Abdalla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations with a specialization in Organizational
Development from Montreals Concordia University. She lives in Dubai with her husband.
For more information about fishfayce, please visit www.fishfayce.com or www.facebook.
com/fishfayce and for Moushii please visit www.moushii.com

Dina Abdulhadi Daryani

Dina Abdulhadi Daryani is born on July
14th 1979 and grew up predominantly in
Amman, Jordan.
Dina has been living in Dubai for over 10
years, where she lives with her husband
and 3 children.
She attended the American University of
Beirut, where she graduated with a degree
in Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
in 2001. She went on to the University of
Birmingham and achieved a Masters of
Science in Marketing in 2003.
Dina then worked in the marketing and
advertising industry during which she
handled Strategic Account Planning,
Market Research and Social Corporate
Responsibility Managerial positions.
After 8 years, she decided to leave the corporate world to create a concept of her own
that combined her love for Fashion and Spirituality. In September 2008, her site Aura-b.
com was born.
Dina is also a Managing Partner & Co-founder of theDRESSroom.com , an ecommerce
boutique catering for special occasion dresses.

Dana Abdelhadi
Dana Abdelhadi, born in Amman, Jordan
(1983) moved to the United Arab Emirates
in 1988 and finished her schooling from
the International School of Choueifat
in 2001. By 2005, Dana had obtained a
Bachelor of Business degree from the
esteemed John Molson School of Business,
Condordia University with a specialization
in Management Information System.
Dana returned to the United Arab
Emirates that year and joined one of
the regions most reputable publishing
houses, MediaQuest in the capacity of
Public Relations Manager. Dana then
furthered her career with positions in abco
Engineering and Contracting Company
based in Sharjah and later at Microsoft
Corp in Dubai Internet City.
In 2009, Dana had set up expose-communications in Dubai and is now one of the leading
fashion and lifestyle boutique PR agencies in the region servicing clients based in the
GCC, Europe and America.

Sara Al-Pachachi
Sara Al-Pachachi is an Iraqi/British National,
and has traveled the world since the
tender age of two. Having lived in Vienna,
London, Bahrain and Montreal, she can
happily now call Dubai her home since
graduating in 2002.
She majored in Journalism at Concordia
University of Montreal, Canada and
her professional experience spans over
10 years in the field of Public Relations,
Corporate Communications, Marketing &
Social Media. Shes worked across a wide
spectrum of industries, including luxury
& beauty, mobile telecommunications,
Motorsports and currently serves as the
Communications Manager at the Dubai
Culture & Arts Authority, the emirates
dedicated entity for culture, arts and
heritage.
Saras brand we.raq
we.raq, a homeware brand founded by Sara and her Auntie, Shuhub Al-Radi, promotes
Iraqi & Middle-Eastern heritage and history through an array of vintage photography
and stamps owned by the pair or donated to them by friends and extended family.
They originally started printing old Iraqi stamps onto cushions hoping to remind people of
the rich history of the birthplace of civilization.
With time, the brand grew to promote other Arab countries and the collection grew from
cushions to other homeware accessories, including trays, coasters, jewellery & gift boxes
and, most recently, to ottomans.
15% of each sale of a cushion goes to an Iraqi Orphanage in Baghdad.
Biggmouth
www.biggmouth.com
Sara and her partner Enjy Kiwan felt the need to share their best secret finds with the rest
of the world, and thats how it all started. Biggmouth.com is an online social platform
where people can discover & share things worth talking about!

Honey Asgari
Honey Asgari is an Iranian American
who spent her early childhood in Dubai
attending the International School of
Choueifat. She then moved to California
where she attended high school, college
and graduated with an honours from
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
minoring in French and majoring in Political
Science Degree, International Relations as
a pre Law Program.
She started her career in the corporate
world with WELLS FARGO, US BANK and CITI
BANK whilst she was studying, and after her
graduation she became the operations
manager of Faytak Enterprises in the US
whilst studying for the LSAT. In 2006, her
position at Faytak Enterprises required her
to move back to the United Arab Emirates
and set up two new divisions to the
company. She continues to manage the company Faytak Group, which houses Faytak
Furniture, Faytak Designs and Faytak General Trading for a year. After the full set up of
two of the companies and a full year of their operation, Honey decided to take on one
plus three Masters of science program at London School of Economics (LSE).
In 2009 She returned to the United Arab Emirates, and Co founded Bubbles and Boba
LLC with her husband Alex Mir. Today Bubbles and Boba, has grown to four unis with
One store in Dubai Mall, In 2014 Bubbles and Boba signed their first franchise agreement
with Qatar and two units are being built in Qatar. Later that year, a sister company to
Bubbles and Boba, specialising in Import Export was established called Faytak Foods and
Beverages supplying companies in the GCC.
Honey continues to manage Faytak Group which houses Bubbles and Boba LLC, Faytak
Foods and Beverages, Faytak Imports and Exports, Faytak General Trading, Faytak Arts
and Antiques as well as Faytak Designs. Honey is also one of the founding members of
Concept.

Alanoud Badr
Concepts first event, Concept 01 will be
hosted by the Beautiful Alanoud Badr also
known as LADY FOZAZA on February 7th
2015 at The Mine Art in Dubai.
Alanoud Badr, founder and designer
of Lady Fozaza, is an internationallyacclaimed fashion designer, consultant
and stylist. She is one of the most sought
after fashion figures in the Middle East. Born
to a Saudi father and a Lebanese Mother,
Alanoud began her fashion journey when
she first studied Fashion Photography at
university. This led to her blog that gave her
a platform to voice her thoughts on style
and new products.
Alanouds interest in fashion was driven by
her late aunts passion and the want to keep
her aunts dream alive through her work.
Her online fashion boutique www.fozaza.com was named after her aunt where she sold
exclusive pieces from local, emerging talent in the Middle East region. The multi brand
e-tailer grew to her own fashion label which continues growing, with Alanoud hoping to
develop the brand into her own fashion house. The brand donates a percentage of all
earnings to breast cancer awareness programs each year.
Lady Fozaza which launched in 2011 is a fashion brand that is heavily inspired by
Alanouds upbringing, lifestyle and surroundings. The Lady Fozaza fashion line is an
exclusive collection of statement blazers that have been worn by celebrities such as Kim
and Kourtney Kardashian, Vampire Diaries actress Evan Rachel Woods, Victoria Secret
model Karolina Kurkova and singer Nancy Ajram to name a few.
Alanoud is based in Dubai, UAE but spends the year travelling throughout the region,
working on different fashion design projects and collaborations as well as her own fashion
line.

Dalia Dogmoch
Dalia is a Syrian-German food author,
presenter and entrepreneur. A culinary
nomad born in London, raised in Paris and
having lived many years in NYC, Dalia
moved to Beirut when she founded Kitsch
Concept. Dalia has been living in Dubai
since 2007. She is a prominent culinary
personality appearing on prime TV channels,
contributing to leading food magazines,
and acting as Harpers Bazaar Arabias
food editor. Dalias debut cookbook
Food, Love and Life from Dalias Kitchen,
topped charts at bookstores across the
Middle East, such as Virgin Megastore and
Kinokuniya Bookworld.

Dalia El Ali
Born March 26th 1983 in Lebanon, Dalia El
Ali moved to Al Ain, United Arab Emirates,
where she grew up.She continued her
education in the United Arab Emirates
until she moved to Lebanon to receive her
Bachelors of Art in Finance from American
University of Beirut. Dalia Always had a
passion for fashion and in 2011 she followed
her dream and moved to London, where
She studied Fashion Design in London
College of Fashion.
Upon her return to Dubai, United Arab
Emirates, she created her own line of
womens ready to wear clothing called
Dee by Dalia. Her fashion line has become
very popular in the Fashion Industry, a home
grown clothing Brand that is growing in the
region. She is soon launching her Haute
Couture line, and introducing the Brand
throughout the Gulf and she is planning to take the Brand International in the coming
years.
In Her Own Words
Dee by Dalia is a new concept clothing line that I have created for all the fun ladies
out there!! I always wanted to be part of the fashion world.. I just love clothes, I have
always been passionate about fashion..I studied finance at American University of Beirut,
worked in investment banking for 6 years, left my job to spend time with my two lovely
boys.
I began dabbling as a stylist for shoots for local magazines and websites but despite all
that, I still felt that I did not reach where I want to be, so I took things to the next level. I
studied fashion design at London college of fashion and I finally did it!! I started my own
line of clothes Dee by Dalia .
My line is all about fun, playful pieces with a twist of my own personality and style. My
inspiration is from all the things I love, vintage items, butterflies and ballerinas. Each of my
designs, whether its a 60s skirt, girly tutu skirts, brocade shorts or ballerina top, represents
me as a person you will find that my designs are full of colours, tulle, organza, bows
and lots of vintage buttons!!!
My Dee by Dalia journey began in February 2013 and ladies, lets prepare to live, love
and laugh together in style!

Marie Therese El Mondalek

Marie-Therese is an Attorney at law. Born
and bred in the UAE, Marie-Therese traveled
to England to pursue a degree in Law and
Business; she came back home in 2004 after
having graduated with Honours. She is a
seasoned corporate and regulatory lawyer
licensed in the State of New York. Apart from
assisting individuals and corporates, MarieTherese also advises semi-government and
government entities in the GCC, Levant
and East African regions. She sits on the
Board of several companies and non-for
profit organisations. Marie-Therese also runs
an SME pro-bono clinic aimed at regional
start-ups.
Marie-Therese is a staunch supporter
of home grown creative talent. Her
involvement with Concept is testament to
this. Feel free to approach MT at any one
of our events to share your ideas and pick
her brains for any legal answers.

Shikkha Gupta
Shikkha Gupta, has over six years of
experience in management and business
consulting. Her forte has been in the field of
innovation consulting and she has helped
organizations in the region strategize
and ideate on a number of projects. She
has a M.S. in Engineering Management
from Northeastern University and is
currently pursuing her Doctor in Business
Administration degree at Herriot Watt
University, Dubai.
Her diverse background and strong passion
for entrepreneurship led her to develop the
concept of TheFashSet www.thefashset.
com Through this website and events
TheFashSet is a community dedicated to
empowering the next wave of Fashion
Stars in the region.
It offers a variety of services designed to empower members including collaboration,
training, mentorship, consulting services, events, courses and so much more!
The end goal and vision is to contribute to job creation, successful start-ups and a solid
community of fashion professionals in the region.

Natasha Jethwani
Born and raised in the UAE Natasha lived
in Dubai with her family until she moved
to London in 2000, to study at The London
College of Fashion and AIU. After obtaining
her BAs, she moved back to Dubai where
she worked as a TV anchor and fashion stylist
at INTV (the regions first English, fashion
and lifestyle channel). Natasha hosted and
produced her own shows covering fashion
and beauty in the region.
After Natasha left the TV industry, she
married Vikram Jethwani, a GIA certified
gemologist from New York. Vikram, a 3rd
generation jeweller, moved back to Dubai
from NYC to take over his mothers Pearl
business. With a passion for diamonds,
Vikram introduced a new element to his
business by setting up a wholesale diamond
and fine jewellery division. Today, 10 years
later, he is renowned for his impeccable quality, service and stunning engagement rings,
which can be seen on the hands of many influential women around Dubai.
Natasha accompanied Vikram on many business trips to the Basel and Hong Kong
Jewellery Fairs and started to develop her own interest in Fine Jewellery. She soon
obtained her Certification in Jewellery Design and launched her first label called Kokeishi,
a semi precious stone line that retailed at Harvey Nichols and other Dubai boutiques.
Vik Jethwani Fine Jewellery.
Noticing a big gap in the market for edgier, more wearable fashion jewellery, in 2012,
Natasha and Vikram launched their own contemporary jewellery label called Vik
Jethwani Fine Jewellery. With Vikrams knowledge and expertise and Natashas passion
for design and her detail orientated nature, together they set out to change the type
of fine jewellery coming out of the Middle East. Focused on a more contemporary style,
Natasha wanted to give the women in the region stunning pieces which followed trends,
yet maintained impeccable quality and which could be worn all day and night.
Vik Jethwani Fine Jewellery has seen a lot of success since its launch 3 years ago. The
label is retailed through the brands own private events, Sauce Rocks and also can be
found every season at The Garden at Fashion Forward. The couple have big plans for the
label and soon you will be able to find the label in boutiques across the region.
Other interests.
Natasha simultaneously represented luxury handbag designer Corto Moltedo (son of
the founders of Bottega Veneta) with a partner for four years. Together with her partner,
the pair hosted exclusive biannual trunk shows between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while
building the brand in the UAE.
Most recently, Natasha & her husband have ventured into the F & B industry by bringing
in the famed New York Dessert Bar Chikalicious.

Samantha Kayruz
Samantha Kayruz Chami born on the 27th
June 1981. Born to a British mother and
Lebanese father, she has lived in England,
Lebanon and Dubai. Most recently living in
Switzerland and Cape Town, then returning
to Dubai.
Samanthas family moved to Dubai 20
years ago, and she has lived mostly here
on and off for that time frame.
She attended the American University
of Beirut, where she graduated with a
Bachelors of Business Administration in
2003 with an emphasis in Marketing.
She went on to work in Advertising and
Marketing where she handled Strategic
planning, brand & marketing management
in
various
multinational
companies
across a variety of industries (fashion &
beauty, consumer packaged goods and
automotive). With close to 10 years in the corporate world, Samantha started exploring
other opportunities and ventures.
Samantha completed her Executive Masters in Marketing & Sales from both ESADE
(Barcelona, Spain) as well as SDA Bocconi (Milan, Italy).
Proud Mother of 2 young children, aged 3 & 2 years old.
Managing Partner & Co-founder of theDRESSroom.com and freelance Marketing
Communication consultant on a project basis.
theDRESSroom.com was recently selected from over 70 companies to win the Afkar.me
by Intigral Digital Startup competition, where they have been incubated and mentored
to scale up the operations.

Enjy Kiwan
Enjy Kiwan is of Egyptian origin, born and
raised in the UAE.
She majored in Finance at the American
University of Dubai and worked as an
Investment banker and Financial editor at
National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Thomson
Reuters. She founded Rubabikia in 2013 and
is now also the VP of research and business
development at Menacorp brokerage.
Enjy Kiwan is a mother of 2 boys Karim and
Yousuf.
Enjys Brand Rubabikia
Her love of home dcor was very imminent
and it was put into work when she was on
maternity leave during her pregnancy with
her first child.
Her father has always been an antique collector and her mother was obsessed with
interior design .Growing up in this environment Enjy was always aware of home decor
and designing.
As she was furnishing her home, she started making her own pieces. Doing that made her
realize that there is a niche for such a theme.. new pieces that look distressed painted
with vibrant colors.
She decided to launch Rubabikia hoping that people with different tastes can embrace
the colorful aspect of home dcor and fit it into their homes.
Biggmouth
Enjy and her partner Sara Al Pachachi felt the need to share their best secret finds with
the rest of the world, and thats how it all started. Biggmouth is an online portal where ppl
can discover & share things worth talking about.

Nadine Mezher
Nadine is a Fashion and retail expert who
lived between Beirut, Saudi Arabia, Italy,
France and now found home in Dubai with
her husband and two kids.
After obtaining her Bachelor in Business
Administration and Marketing from the
American University of Beirut, Nadine
studied fashion design and pattern making
in Florence and Paris where she ultimately
began her career in the fashion world after
graduating from Esmod Paris.
In 2006, and after several years of experience
between Europe and the Middle East, in
renowned houses of fashion from Diesel
to Elie Saab, she opened her own fashion
house in down town Beirut. Since, she
has been an honorary member in fashion
events around the region, interviewed and
featured in many TV stations and magazines, and selected as a permanent jury member
in mission Fashion a TV reality program next to Mr. Elie Saab.
In 2008, she moved to Dubai where in addition to her work, she was teaching at
Esmod Dubai and consulting for various fashion companies. In 2011, she launched a
social enterprise, naw, that channeled all proceeds from the sales back into helping
communities, becoming a partner of the UN World Food Program.
Today, Nadine works for Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai,
as a senior manager for Fashion and Retail sector development. She launched different
initiatives, under the umbrella of the Dubai Festival and Retail Establishment supporting
emerging homegrown brands. Market OTB and Abbati, a platform for Modest wear,
are some of the initiatives that focused on local and regional designers promoting Dubai
as an emerging fashion capital.

Clare Pardoe
Clare Pardoe was born and raised amidst
the inspirational backdrop of Dubai,
although the initial journey of Phioro began
in England. Clare received her Bachelors
Degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing
from the highly acclaimed School of
Jewellery (Est. 1890) at Birmingham Institute
of Art & Design in 2006.
Rooted in her British-Emirati background,
Clare returned to Dubai to further advance
her endeavors with Phioro. Clare remains
inspired by the fascinating surroundings
of her home city; showcasing an ornate
and harmonious confluence of old vs.
new, traditional vs. modern and Eastern vs.
Western design elements.
From a young age Clare presented an
extraordinary flair in the arts, receiving
both the Design Technology and Art Prizes for her displayed talents while attending the
prestigious Dubai College. In 2010, Clare was a finalist in the Jewellery Design Awards
competition for Dubai International Jewellery Week.
Extending from an extensive bloodline of creative artists and designers, both present
and past; Clare has always felt most comfortable in identifying with her inherited artistic
instincts. Her great grandfather, Thomas Pardoe, was a painter for Nantgarw Pottery in
Wales. Considered to be among the most valuable artifacts ever produced in Wales,
Nantgarw porcelain was collected by The Royals and today remains on display at
Londons Victoria and Albert Museum.
Much like her great grandfather, Clare has the ability to see the beauty of a piece from all
angles, considering every aspect when designing. Depending on her inspirations, Clare
is equally confident designing both minimalist and statement jewellery, and everything
in between; a truly versatile designer.
Designer
Clare is admired for her captivating designs, intended to represent a transcendental
existence. Each intricately sculpted piece reflects a rich heritage in fine jewellery artistry
marked by Clares modern and distinctive edge.
Drawn toward bold, striking, organic forms, accentuated by a select anthology of priceless
materials and precious stones; Clares designs embody true works of art. Working with
clients from around the world, her unique expertise enables her to personally connect
with each client and deliver a piece that encapsulates their story.
Clares exquisite creations have been featured in editorials worldwide. Phioro designs
have been embraced and worn by international starlets, including Katy Perry, Michelle
Rodriguez, Yousra, Bushra, Lily Cole and Sarah Bolger.

Dalia and Lama Sadiq

Palestinian American sisters Dalia and
Lama Sadiq are the owners of Socialista
Boutique in Sunset Mall in Dubai. Founders
and trendsetting sisters have influenced the
UAE fash-pack with their impeccable style
and eye for detail. Both sisters were raised
in Southern California where their love of
fashion started.
Dalia got her BA in Political Science with a
minor in Management from the University
of California at Irvine (UCI) in 2004. She then
went on to pursue her MA in Communications
and Arab Studies at Georgetown University.
She moved to Dubai in 2006 and began
working in Fashion. After that she moved to
NYC when she first got married in 2009 for a
year and settled back in Dubai in 2010.
Her partner Lama Sadiq studied Fashion in
London. She got her BA in Fashion Marketing from the American International University
in London in 2011. Her love of fashion began at a young age and London being one of
the most envied fashion capitals of the world asserted that love.
With their experiences in major fashion led cities such as New York and London, the sisters
decided to open their own boutique in Dubai to bring back it pieces to stock in their
trendled store.
Socialista Boutique
Socialista Boutique opened its doors in March of 2012. Named as one of Dubais Best
boutiques by Ahlan Magazine, Time Out and Whats On magazine, Socialista is known
for introducing the region to sought after designers that are taking the fashion industry
by storm.
After the on-going success of their boutique, the girls went live online with the launch of
their ecommerce site. The website, www.socialista.net makes it easy to shop the latest
collections, view look-books and keep uptodate on their fashion musings through the
blog section.

Sogol Zabihi
JEWELS line features glitzy necklaces,
earrings, bracelets and rings. Each
collection has a different theme catering
for different occasions. From sophisticated
to casual, funky to chic, every piece is
simply Unique.
About JEWELS:
After being launched by Sogol Zabihi in
2006, JEWELS became known as one of the
leading accessory jewellery brands. Each
collection consists of statement earrings,
rings, bracelets and necklaces worked
with finely-faceted Swarovski crystals,
gold-plated and hand painted in Italy. The
hallmark of each collection is a unique fusion
of contemporary designs and traditional
Middle Eastern artistic influences.
Much like the designer herself, JEWELS aesthetics display a sense of sassiness and vivacity,
full of bright iridescent hues that exude a young, fresh character. Sogol describes her
brand as retro, trendy and rich, relying on a heightened sense of bright colours.
I pull inspiration from everything I see around me and ideas seep in and result in fun,
wonderful designs. Sogol Zabihi, Creator of JEWELS