As we gear up for SOLE DXB 2023, excitement brews over the exclusive streetwear and sneaker edits set to steal the spotlight at the event.
Recognised not just as a premier music festival in the Middle East, Sole DXB stands as a nucleus for creativity, innovation, and the best streetwear fashion.
It's easy to overlook that street culture was hastily dismissed as a passing trend just a few decades ago. Despite its relative infancy in the region, the scene holds immense potential.
Indeed, what better proof that top emerging and established brands are coming together at the renowned festival to unveil everything from limited-edition collectables to festival merchandise and local labels?
This year, some international heavyweights include AAPE, Adidas, Anti Social Social Club, and Crocs. Meanwhile, regional favourites like 5ivepillars, Amongst Few, Precious Trust, and Les Benjamins promise exciting offerings.
Beyond these regional brands at Sole DXB this year, we've explored and incorporated a selection of innovative designers shaping the landscape with unique expressions of cultural identity through clothing. Their brands meld heritage and cutting-edge trends seamlessly, forging a distinct and globally resonant streetwear movement.
Qasimi
Qasimi, established in 2015 by Khalid Al Qasimi, is a London-based fashion brand that blends its Middle Eastern heritage with a global perspective. Crafting chic and subtle attire, the brand tells the story of an urban nomad exploring diverse cultures worldwide.
The brand fosters unity and inclusivity across all genders, and a message celebrates the fusion of cultures and socio-political influences. This ethos is vividly expressed through carefully crafted pieces, each distinctively infused with vibrant colours. Qasimi, which has proudly graced the runways of London Fashion Week, can be found online at Qasimi.com
Amongst Few
The UAE's premier streetwear brand was established in 2014 by Mike Taylor, a Briton, and his friends Flo Moser from Austria and Khalid Al-Farsi, an Emirati.
Specialising in a diverse range of clothing, accessories, and sneakers for both men and women, the designs effortlessly integrate the brand's UAE heritage. Standout features include a distinctive ghutra pocket pattern, Arabic lettering, and captivating "Dubai Tribe" artwork embellishing T-shirts and caps, attracting a global fanbase. Recently, the brand achieved unprecedented success with the inauguration of its inaugural brick-and-mortar store in Abu Dhabi, marking its first expansion beyond Dubai.
The brand will be present at Sole DXB. For attendees, it's a must-visit, offering a firsthand experience of their unique blend of style and cultural influence.
Les Benjamins
The Istanbul-based brand catering to both men and women, emerged in 2011 under the visionary Bünyamin Aydin. He began his journey with just 30 printed T-shirts but eventually went to the grand runways of Istanbul and Milan Fashion Weeks. His designs are now stocked at prestigious retailers such as Harvey Nichols and Saks 5th Avenue.
"We are a platform of how we want the East to be today," notes Aydin on the brand's site. Enter the Les Benjamins rangefinder log – a visual hymn to Eastern allure. Shop here
Native Threads
Established in 2020 by a collective, the brand focuses on designs inspired by vintage Middle Eastern elements, seamlessly blending traditional aspects with modernity to infuse their clothes with meaning and wearability.
Through colourful T-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories, its founders aim to convey a form of self-expression while honouring and preserving the customs and heritage of the Middle Eastern region. This resonates with the experiences of those living in the diaspora.
Native Threads specialises in collaborating with Middle Eastern artists and charities to support causes that make a difference in local communities. In the past, they've created garments to raise funds for Gaza, International Women's Day, and to campaign for human rights.
SULÉ
Established in 2015 in Saudi Arabia, SULÉ originated as a creative and patented tieback caps brand. Over time, it evolved into a lifestyle brand catering to men, women, and children.
Today, SULÉ offers products from its own brand and has expanded its offering to a carefully curated selection of diverse brands that include apparel and footwear.
Galag Rev up for Galag, a brand born in 2013 from the fervour of automotive enthusiasts, is the brainchild of photographers and videographers whose passion for exploration hits the asphalt in style.
While the core crew hails from the style capital of Saudi Arabia, international members have revved up the collective over time. Their fashion odyssey began in 2017, an extension of their creative passion, sparked by the clamour from Galag devotees for something tangible to wear with pride. The brand soon gained traction in Europe, the US, and East Asia and arrived in the Saudi market in 2019.
5ivepillars
Farrukh Ershad was inspired by Arabic art and literature when he launched 5ivepillars in 2012. Through visual storytelling, elucidating art, and cutting-edge garments, Ershad found a vehicle to express Islamic identity in a rapidly changing, globalised world. Part of his mission is to give 5ivepillars a sense of belonging to a world with human-made borders while focusing on igniting creativity in today's youth.
This independent sartorial gem hails from the UAE and is curated by the ingenious Wathek Allal. This avant-garde label fearlessly experiments with graphics, cuts, and hand-dyed pieces rooted in the vibrant tapestry of North African street culture. Beyond mere garments, Precious Trust is a narrative woven with a personal touch, each stitch telling a chapter of a continuous love story. Each collection unfolds a new chapter, revealing the brand's commitment to storytelling.
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