Born and raised in Dubai, Khulood Thani runs her own design-ordinated Ready-to-Wear and soft accessories contemporary brand, ‘Bint Thani’, plus she writes about fashion and culture for a number of leading regional publications. Design partner Khalid Shafar was also born in Dubai, graduating from the American University in Dubai and working in marketing and communication for almost seven years. However, in 2009 he decided to leave marketing and follow his passion for design, going on to opening his own studio and inaugurating his first showcase space ‘Kasa’. Khalid’s approach to design encompasses his personal expression of form, movement, emotion, and in particular, ‘the tale’ of objects.
Together as a design duo, they are both part of a creative initiative called DRAK, which looks into transforming various areas of Ras Al Khor. The collective design enterprise was established in 2015 in Dubai and founded by the couple, together with two other UAE based designers, Nadine Kanso and Tarik Al Zaharna. DRAK aims to draw attention to Ras Al Khor Industrial Area and the creative district’s potential, striving to become a progressive design movement that encourages research, innovation, and material exploration.
How did you first meet and decide to collaborate?
Khalid: We actually met a long time ago and have been best friends for almost 15 years. However, for DRAK we met early in 2015 after returning from our annual Milan Design Week trip, as soon as we heard about the launch of Dubai Design Week.
Khulood: That was ages ago! We actually met 15 years ago, when we were both in the corporate sector, and since then both of our design journeys started at almost the same time. In regards to the collaboration, it was just last year, after our visit to Milan Design Week. Whilst there we felt that we needed to do something that is meaningful to the design scene in Dubai. From there we started working on the concept of Design Ras Al Khor, which was launched last year, during the Dubai Design Week 15.
How would you describe each other in three words?
Khalid: Personally: Soul mate, generous enclosure, free spirit.
Professionally: Career driven, fashion reference, accountable.
Khulood: Personally: Unique, trustful, great sense of humour.
Professionally: Great leader, inspiring, and knows how to get things done!
Tell us the secret to your success?
Khalid: Not a secret but characters, Confidence, Courage, Thinking Globally. I think I can see my vision in front of me, so it keeps me walking towards it.
Khulood: It’s very important to understand what value you would like to add to the design industry and how to make your work stand out from the rest, being original in your process. Design is personal, and reflects something about the designer and his or her vision.
What does designing mean to you?
Khalid: Innovating something that is practical and functions well.
Khulood: Bringing new solutions through certain concepts and original design process.
What was the catalyst that pushed you to set up your own design brand?
Khalid: It was always my long-term personal and professional goal to be a designer. To design furniture was a passion I developed more while doing my Interior Design degree and taking a furniture design course. By then, I had decided that one day I wanted to build my own brand and have my own designs. Yet, marketing was my first career choice until 2010 when I left my corporate life and switched to focus on design.
Khulood: I wanted to build a brand that is from Dubai, but with an international appeal. Something that’s contemporary and expresses something about the moment of design and fashion ‘now’.
How would you sum up your brand?
Khalid: KHALID SHAFAR is a Dubai-based brand that creates quirky interior space objects out of stories.
Khulood: Contemporary and Modern.
What can’t you live without?
Khalid: I guess it’s my laptop. I have never taken a holiday without it.
Khulood: My mobile.
Where is your happy place?
Khalid: Home and Istanbul.
Khulood: Paris, without a doubt.
Nights out or relaxed evenings in?
Khalid: Nights out in La Petite Maison and relaxed evenings at home.
Khulood: I tend to like spending early evenings at home relaxing, as I walk up early to utilise the morning.
Where is the next place on your wish list to visit?
Khalid: Greece and Portugal.
Khulood: Melbourne.
What talent do you yearn for?
Khalid: Culinary.
Khulood: Talents which challenge the norms of how things are usually done.
What is the best lesson you have been taught in life?
Khalid: Think Global. Act Global.
Khulood: Our life is a reflection of how we look at it.
What do you admire most about each other?
Khalid: Our total understanding, shared memories, care and respect to each other.
Khulood: We believe in each other. Plus, honesty plays a very important role in our work.
How do you find working together on your new project DRAK?
Khalid: I am personally very pleased with our bonding and connection, especially during this edition. It shows the way we interact and respond. DRAK is made of 4 letters and I can say it can’t happen without us 4.
Khulood: It’s bigger this time and that goes back to the great coordination between all the team members. It’s in a new location, 4 new design projects, 2 international designs projects and more partners.
Are there compromises you have to make to enable a good work harmony?
Khalid: Sure there are, we are all different humans and have different ways of doing things, but to come together and work on a collective we need to find the middle, where we all meet and can work together in harmony. This is where the bond happens and the professional chemistry falls in place.
Khulood: Respect is a basic foundation to make anything work out, and we all as team members respect each other on the projects that we are handling. We share all the details, the challenges that we face, and we find the right opportunities that we would like to capture.
What can we expect to see from DRAK?
Khalid: It is all new, from an exciting new venue, 4 newly commissioned design projects from local and regional designers, 2 international design projects for the first time in the region, 6 unique pop-up dining experiences, talks and discussions with International designers and speakers coming to Dubai for DRAK.
Khulood: This year, the theme is ‘Celebrating Wood’ so we have 4 newly commissioned projects for DRAK 16, Graphic Design by Tulip Hazbar, Film Project by Lina Younes, Interactive Design by Hind Bin Demaithan and Textile Project by Hala Kaiksow. Plus, we will be having 6 popup dining experiences, hosted by the Executive Chef of our F&B Partner, Ghaf Kitchen.
If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?
Khalid: The Emirati Design reference.
Khulood: A person who did things differently.
Interviewed by Eliza Scarborough
Special thanks to THE QODE
