OmanPride: Omani designer creates a dress for the blind

One of the greatest things our society has come to appreciate is how important it is to help the blind feel loved and accepted, and making it easier for them to blend in with the society and vice versa. This could be by providing them with special writing and reading equipment at workplace or offering them high-end technology devices that would contribute to making life easier for them. This year, fashion designer Ruqaya Al Harthi made a beautiful gesture with her incredible initiative to design a dress carrying Braille, the language of the blind.
Ruqaya has released a collection inspired by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s achievement, including dresses (abayas) that had important dates and patriotic phrases printed on them. One piece in this collection she saved for the last, and this was for a purpose.
The dress was designed with minimalistic touches and raised dots (Braille) that were wrapped around its volumised cuffs, stitched at various levels. The entire National Anthem of Oman is thus inscribed on the cuffs in the Braille language.
The designer, who is also the owner of Dar Saaf fashion house in Al Hail, had been developing the concept for National Day; she wanted to find a way to not only give back to the society through fashion, but also add some sparkle in the life of persons belonging to the blind community, offering them an opportunity to celebrate the most important occasion in the country without feeling excluded. In order to make that happen, she decided to pay a visit to Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Institute for the Blind and speak with the members there, in the hope that she could bring her idea to life. Little did she know that her concept was undeniably interesting and caught the institute’s attention. The persons at the centre offered their help by translating the National Anthem in Braille.
There is no doubt that the dress was designed for modest women who love to look and feel elegant, with classic colours and metallic hints, which can provide a mix of culture and luxury. The dress was created not only for women from the blind community but also for those wishing to show their support to the cause.
The National Day collection is still available for women who want to continue their celebrations and wish to eliminate the invisible walls between the blind and the society
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