Sheikha Souad Jaber Al Sabah

TBY talks to Sheikha Souad Jaber Al Sabah, Owner & Founder of Sirdab 6, about business strategy and creativity.

Can you tell us about your experience as a businesswoman and the founder of Sirdab 6?

When I was younger, I used to wear ready made caftans, which in their traditional form have long sleeves and are quite basic. I decided to cut the sleeves off and instead add some fabric to make it look like a day dress. Even though the older people did not like it back then, the younger generation appreciated my idea and wanted to wear it like I did. This led to me starting a small, very exclusive business. My first collection was launched in 2002 and since then, I have been creating one collection a year to sell during the time of Ramadan. My love for vintage culture made me add the ethnicity of this culture into my designs, making them even more unique and exclusive. I travel down and up the length of the Silk Road collecting materials mostly vintage garments and finding out new inspiration for my creative process. When it comes to sales, I usually do a pop-up somewhere in the city once a year, or else gather orders privately and get them delivered to the clients. Although my work has become a business, my focus lies on creating and enjoying the process.

What would you say to the young creatives out there?

Creativity is not a competition. Everyone is different and we all have something beautiful to give to the world. I think creativity is a natural way of expressing ourselves. I would encourage any young individual out there to create and try their best, because as long as they are enjoying the process, it is worth it. They should try what they think they are good at and keep trying new things until they find what they like. Then they should stick to it, stay consistent, and grow in that art or discipline. There is no point in copying others. Instead of following the trend, create your own. That is what has worked for me, and that is how I started.