Friday 21 / June / 2024
There is something about traditional fashion that’s just fascinating, from the textile used to the colours and design, and in Oman, this side of fashion is aided by the country’s rich culture, where designers incorporate cultural elements into modern pieces.
Mohsin Al Manji, an Omani sandal designer, uses all these elements in his beautiful creations that are inspired from Omani culture. Al Manji was born in Muscat, but his origins are from A’Sharqiyah. He worked as a presenter on Majan TV before migrating to become one of Oman’s most successful male fashion designers.
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He was always into styling; the way he matches his outfits scream fashion. During his time at Majan TV, his passion for fashion evolved and became something greater than putting on a white dishdasha and a mussar. He had to look good at all times. It was he who decided to give designing a try and create something unique to wear for himself.
Soon after, he started getting compliments from his co-workers and those around him, as they were impressed by the choice of colours and materials he used. He started with the most common fashionable item in men’s closet — sandals. Al Manji came up with the concept of designing Omani-inspired sandals, which became a success on social media and at his workplace. Given the constant demand for sandals, Al Manji decided to ditch TV and embark on a new journey, a journey full of fabric stitching and fitting.
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He started his sandal brand Mohsin Design (MD), a sartorial handmade brand launched in 2013, offering exclusive attention-grabbing sandals — Na’aal, traditional accessories, female dresses, as well as men’s dishdashas. The young designer launched his brand with the aim to infuse traditional Omani ensembles with a touch of modernity and glamour, and that’s exactly what he did. He used interesting materials, such as golden threads, silver, and car-seat leather among other things.
Today, his brand caters to both men and women, designing dresses, heels, wallets, and a variety of accessories, all handmade to perfection. Al Manji draws inspiration from things that have an Omani identity and culture; he made sandals inspired by bisht, a flowing cloak made of wool, as well as sandals with Omani fortress colours, to name a few.
All the pieces that he creates are dressed with a touch or a glimpse of beautiful Oman. He managed to modernise the traditional sandal without letting go of its true essence. His brand won the best project and section at Bandira, where it won the Zubair Small Enterprises Centre award. He also participated in Huwiyati Atturathiya — My Heritage Identity exhibition at the Higher College of Technology, as well as an exhibition at The Sultan’s School.
The designer is now gearing up for a fashion show that will showcase his latest collection in July. We cannot wait to see what’s coming next from Al Manji, one thing you can be sure of is that it will be modern, cool, and tradition-heavy. -salim@timesofoman.com
