Fashion star: Why you need this upcoming Dubai store on your radar

What happens when a beauty entrepreneur and a fashion journalist join forces? In the case of Dr Lamees Hamdan and Sujata Assomull, it results in a luxury lifestyle boutique serving as a veritable treasure chest of hand-picked finds. This Dubai-based duo’s maiden collaborative venture, Shiffa Curated (housed at Waldorf Astoria DIFC), will officially launch early this summer, with a focus towards artisanal pieces for aesthetes.

When Assomull (who has stints in fashion many magazines to her name) moved to Dubai three years ago, she struck an instant friendship with Dr Hamdan (a medical doctor, entrepreneur and founder of natural skincare brand Shiffa Beauty); further cemented by their shared love for fashion, travel and art.

While Dubai takes its mall culture very seriously, these two style mavens conceptualised Shiffa Curated to fill the void for a one-stop destination that celebrates unique labels and designs. The store preview in the last week of April included an edit of kaftan dresses by D’Ascoli and Abraham & Thakore, a special line by Anita Dongre, fine jewellery by Lubhyati and L’atelier Nawbar, and silver decor pieces by Shiffa—just a taste of what’s in store for the city’s seasoned shoppers. Here, Assomull and Dr Hamdan speak to Vogue India about how they are combining their savoir faire to give Dubai its next shopping favourite.

How did the idea for Shiffa Curated come about?

Dr Lamees Hamdan: I wanted my first flagship Shiffa store to be more than just skincare. I wanted it to be an embodiment of all the things I love, all under one roof.

Sujata Assomull: The idea has always been on Dr Hamdan’s mind. And all my years as a fashion editor, curating was always part of my job. As a journalist, it is your mantra to stay ahead of the curve. Moreover, I always wanted to curate a lifestyle space full of things that spark joy. I felt this even more when I moved to Dubai. This city has all the big international brands, but no space that looks at special pieces and artisanal labels.

What is the focus of the store’s curation?

LH: You will always find beautiful jewellery, natural skincare, silver pieces and gifting items at the store.

Earrings by Lubhyati

SA: The boutique has a very dynamic structure. You can expect chic kaftans, exquisite jewellery and unusual home decor pieces that have been curated for Dubai’s style set, as well those visiting the city. There will also be a beauty section, featuring not just Shiffa Beauty but also other brands handpicked by Dr Hamdan. Our calendar will be very robust, featuring everything from store takeovers to limited edition lines. The idea is to be innovative yet full of real style buys.

Which are the brands one can expect to find at Shiffa Curated? Any Indian labels?

SA: The curation will be ever-changing, but in fashion, Patine, Talitha, D’Ascoli, and Abraham & Thakore will be a permanent part of the edit. We hope to work closely with Anita Dongre and well-known European brands too. For jewellery, there is Dubai’s Nadine Kanso and Lebanon’s L’atelier Nawbar. We also have leather goods and perfumes by Montroi, a Dubai-based handcrafted accessories label. And of course, Shiffa Beauty.

A dress by Anita Dongre

LH: I don’t look at where the labels I like come from. If I like it, it goes in the boutique. I visit India for shopping trips at least once a year as I love Indian craft, and usually sit with the artisans to customise my pieces. So yes, Indian brands will definitely feature in the store.

SA: The idea is to have things both of us covet. Since we both travel so much, you can expect [the curation] to be international. We do hope to work with local designers from this region, and Indian brands will be a focus too as the aesthetics overlap with the Middle East.

A dress by D’Ascoli; earrings and necklace by Lubhyati

Tell us about your individual styles, and how they lend themselves to the store’s aesthetic

LH: I like pieces I can wear over and over again, knowing I will always look fabulous in them. My style is all over the place because I travel so much—what I wear to a meeting in New York will be different from what I wear for dinner in Marrakech. And the boutique speaks to this too. There is a fluidity in fashion that I think is becoming more apparent now.

SA: I am all about smart shopping and investment buys. I do not like anything that is conventional. I want good quality, and I want to be able to wear my pieces again and again, but they still need to look au courant. Plus, it has to make me feel good—the way the fabric feels on my skin or how the jewellery sits on me. And I must always be wearing it, it must never wear me.

What will Shiffa Curated bring to Dubai’s already bustling shopping culture?

LH: Shiffa Curated is, in essence, what Dubai is all about—this incredible mix of people from varied backgrounds, nationalities and countries. There is a certain energy about Dubai (which you will understand if you’ve lived here), where you think about what you are wearing. That doesn’t mean being overdressed, but it doesn’t mean wearing whatever is lying on the sofa either. Even when you see someone in jeans and a T-shirt here, even that is a well-thought-out look without ever trying too hard. The store will resonate with this set.

A dress by Anita Dongre worn with a bracelet by L’atelier Nawbar

SA: Dubai is home to the world’s largest shopping mall, and every luxury brand has a footprint here. But there is no special store that represents the melting pot of cultures that the city is, and the fact that Dubai’s fashion girls have discerning taste and are not brand victims.

What are your top summer must-haves?

LH: A light silk kaftan, Shiffa Beauty’s sunscreen and healing balm, a wicker basket with your initials on it, a floppy hat and a pitcher for all the matcha iced tea, lemonade and orange blossom drinks you need to hydrate all summer.

SA: A printed silk kaftan dress that you can live in all summer long, Shiffa’s silver-dipped roses for your house, and Shiffa Amuse Dissolvable Patches for your smile line.

A dress by D’Ascoli worn with a L’atelier Nawbar necklace