Introducing Fabric of Society, a new Kuwait-based luxury style destination set to transform the Middle East. The fresh new brand brings to life a new digital home for next-gen and emerging talent with a carefully curated portfolio of niche international brands such as Last Frame, Coperni, Aries, Ahluwalia, Eéra, Ottolinger, Heliot Emil, MISBHV, Dentro and SRVC to name only a few.
“We are proud to have arrived at this moment and for the generosity and support the industry has shown towards our vision. Over this period, we’ve had the distinct opportunity to work with so many extraordinary and talented individuals, all of whom have helped us shape a company that we believe transcends the economics and raises a community. We’re truly excited to launch this new home for our region’s fashion forward Gen Z and Millennials, though I’d rather see it as we’re now freeing ‘Fabric of Society’ into the world it was born to thrive in” says Raheel Al Roudhan – CEO of Fabric of Society, a new Kuwait-based luxury style destination.
Raheel Al Roudhan studied Visual Communications at Gulf University, Kuwait, and was deeply inspired by her father’s successful businesses and work ethic, as well as the many Kuwaiti women who run their own companies. She knew however, that it would be her love of fashion and drive for creativity that would inspire where she focused her deep-rooted business ambitions.
Influenced by the shift she witnessed in how people dressed in a post-pandemic world – where more relaxed, less-formal dressing and street style culture were becoming popular, Raheel set her sights on creating a retail destination that focused on this new look. A completely fresh and new brand within the Middle East which shared her own modern, global outlook and brought to light new and exciting streetwear, next-gen and niche labels that set trends, rather than follow them.
Raheel’s plan is to champion these labels as much as possible – not only because of their incredible designs but their philosophy too, focusing on brand’s who use deadstock material, vegan alternatives and more environmentally responsible processes within their organisations.
The ambition of Fabric of Society is for it to grow whilst remaining true to its fashion roots, focusing on more brands, breadth of product and expansion into regions beyond the Middle East. With a rapidly expanding team and customer base, Raheel and Fabric of Society are keen to cement their position within the fashion world as a go-to for street-wear, next gen and niche international brands.
José Berrocoso, our lifestyle editor, sit down with Raheel Al Roudhan, to pick her brains on how to keep one’s sights set firmly on success.
CityPages Magazine: What is the story behind the inception of the Fabric of Society platform?
Raheel Al Roudhan: I felt for some time that there was something super exciting happening in the Kuwaiti style scene but that there was no one destination that captured all of this and served this woman I was seeing more and more. So I set about creating that destination and my hope is that it transforms beyond ecomm into a destination that captures the essence of its name, a society that fosters creativity, a community of like-minded individuals.
CPM: How would you describe the fashion scene in Kuwait?
RAR: I feel women here are really receptive to new and smaller brands, as well as the more established labels. Their brand story is part of what attracts us I think, as we look to modern brands to reflect a more youthful and modern Kuwaiti woman. Styling wise it feels confident and very cool – the next-gen and streetwear-influenced brands we have on FoS sell through really well.
CPM: What would you say the secret sauce to building an online platform?
RAR: I wouldn’t say just one thing. There are so many elements! However, first and foremost for me it was that I knew there was a customer calling out for these brands and curation. Then it’s about finding a team that is able to translate your vision.
CPM: How do you choose the designers and brands you work with?
RAR: We have great relationships with a lot of these brands, they are genuinely excited by the style movement in Kuwait and how their brands are understood and appreciated here. We choose brands we know our customer will love, those who have unique brand stories and brand values.
CPM: Many of your brands are exclusively partners to Fabric of Society. How do you convince them to partner with you exclusively?
RAR: I hope it’s because they believed in our vision too. We are a young business, like many of the brands we stock. We believe in what they are creating – and love how their creativity shines through their designs. It’s an honour to stock the brands that we do and give them a platform to reach more.
CPM: How is Fabric of Society beneficial to small, independent brands and retailers?
RAR: We try to champion them as much as possible. We showcase a different brand every fortnight within our editorial offering, delving into the designers’ methods or collections to unpack their story and share it with the FoS customer.
CPM: If you could describe the Fabric of Society experience in three words what would it be?
RAR: Youthful, seamless, luxury.
CPM: What do you see as the most important ingredient of success?
RAR: A lot of hard work and perhaps a little bit of luck. I think it is the right time to really boost the fashion scene in Kuwait and to give women here more of what they already love and want, but housed within a platform for them that sources the product, curated it to instantly inspire them and delivers it almost immediately.
CPM: What would you say customers want from a shopping experience now?
RAR: Our customers love that the product offering is tightly curated, we really think about whether our customer will want a product rather than buying into everyone and everything. But one thing that is key is service. From live chat to seamless speedy delivery, customers have the same expectations I have and I want them to be met and for us to go beyond.
CPM: What role does social media play in your business?
RAR: Social media is hugely important to us, and something we will grow even more. Our name reflects our brand ethos and this notion of a society is something we wanted to really bring to life. We want to showcase the brands, the designers behind them and a wealth of creatives – such as artist collaborations. We also like to chat with our customers – our DM’s are so busy! This builds a connection and was key to FOS world I wanted to build.
CPM: Which are your favourite brands on Fabric of Society?
RAR: It’s hard to choose!! We had our launch event recently and I wore these incredible cargo pants from a London streetwear label called Aries – I am obsessed with them. But I also love brands such as Ugo Paulon, Aleksandre Akhalkatsishvili – who do the most game-changing tailoring that I recommend to absolutely everyone and MISBHV too. But genuinely I love them all because we have gotten to know the designers and teams behind the brand’s and I know how passionate they are too about their creations. It’s that which I really hope to bring to the FoS customer too.
What’s up next for Fabric of Society?
RAR: It’s about growing properly and at the right time. Even though I like to do everything at once I want to ensure that our service is always perfect, so I’ve learnt to be patient! We want to continue our expansion through the Middle East and our unrivalled super-fast delivery. I also want to continue working closely with brands on exclusive collaborations, so we are bringing our customers truly unique pieces that feel even more special and limited edition.
