When most think of couture, divine craftmanship, one-of-one luxury and avant-grade design comes to mind. Underwater jellyfish? Not so much. But this visionary Arab creative saw an overlap we could have never fathomed.
Mariam Yehia, the creative director of the trailblazing brand Mrs Keepa, has launchd a new couture arm to her label her imaginative aquatic SS24 collection. In collaboration with Sotheby’s, Dubai Fashion Week inaugurated Mrs Keepa Studio with a chic yet captivating showroom.
With ethereal couture pieces scattered throughout the room, GRAZIA got a few moments with the buzzing designer. From sustainable material use to her Arab identity, she walked us through the evolution of the brand and this collection.
Mrs Keepa at Dubai Fashion Week
“It’s a bit different from what you’re usually seeing from Mrs Keepa,” Mariam Yehia smiles, in reference to the new underwater-inspired pieces.
Ordinarily known for its exotic maximalist layering style, a noticeable lack of colour is felt from the onset. Titled “Inhale“, this Spring/Summer 24 collection featured hues of muted shades with some elongated curvaceous shapes.
“I didn’t see much colour in the world when developing this collection,” she starts. “It was basically a lot of darkness, hence you find a lot of black silhouettes and neutral voices.” Impacted by the current devastations in the Arab region, Mariam’s designs embodies the sombre state of mind she found herself in during the onset.
However, she admits “the vibrant person in me won in the end.” Sprinkled throughout the sea of softened black, little glimpses of exuberant colour jump at you. From multicoloured cinched gowns, to intricately sequenced pieces. A thread of that signature Mrs Keepa spirit can be woven out of their latest collection
On Creating Timeless Pieces
In a chaotic fast-paced world, the larger discourse is ever-changing. Amidst that noise, the Mrs Keepa brand has built a sturdy foundation for itself, through staying grounded in their values.
For Mariam, building this sustainable luxury brand comes from her focusing on materials. From curtains to bed covers, she indulges in the layers and dimension of fabrics.
“That’s what my technique as a designer is, I moulage with fabric. It has never been about trends,” she says. “What the brand stands for is making clothes that represent who you are, which is a sustainable mentality on its own.”
However, it’s not only in its design philosophies that brand centres sustainability. Mariam explains how Mrs Keepa’s utilisation of fabric is entirely unique. “I make sure fabrics can make another appearance in other collections,” she says, from re-purposing to reimagining in its use its entirety, adding, “I even introduced Mrs Keepa Home, which is a line that uses a lot of the fabric stock.”
Centring women
From Kelly Rowland to Gwen Stefani to Arab influencer Huda Shahinn, there is range to the women who indulge in Mrs Keepa pieces.
While she never centres a specific person in her creations, Mariam reveals the fashion forward A-lister that initially inspired her. “In the beginning, Rihanna was a muse but since then I never had someone that I was really designing for. I just like to empower women in the silhouettes they wear, make them feel comfortable and powerful, that’s it.”
Through her unconstrained imagination, she breaks and remoulds the world’s concise avenue for couture. Showcasing Mrs Keepa Studio at Dubai Fashion Week, she continues to ground her work in her being. Creating for a multitude of women she leads with her conscious as her Arab identity flourishes through.
A Dubai-born brand that seems to shows no inkling of slowing down.
