Najla Al-Jamali, who shifted her brand name from Jizdaani to Najla Zuhair in 2015, has woven her new collection with timeless designs. It is her passion for handbag design that motivates her to pursue her label ‘Najla Zuhair’ while also managing her career as the Executive Managing Director of Takamul Investment Company.
Talking about her designing venture, the self-taught designer says, “I first started designing handbags in 2005 under the label Jizdaani, which focused on incorporating Omani embellishments onto handbags. Each style had a story behind the Omani silver piece that was used. Then in 2015, I found my design style had evolved, so I slowly started working on my new brand Najla Zuhair, which reflects my current taste of simple, elegant and timeless designs.”
Below are excerpts from an interview with the designer:
How did you get into the field of handbags, while most young Omanis have taken to designing clothes?
I’m definitely more of a shoe and bag person, so I was naturally drawn to designing handbags. The whole designing thing started by complete accident while I was recovering from surgery. I was inspired by a Khanjar belt, which I thought would look amazing as a bag strap so from there I started Jizdaani.
Clothes for me are inherently more complicated, body shapes and sizes need to be considered, which is not the case with bags.
What is your signature style?
Elegant, simple, timeless.
Tell us about your latest collection?
Skin2Skin is my first collection for Najla Zuhair. The collection is inspired by vintage camera boxes so the bags feature clean lines, luxurious details and captivating colors. I worked with leather and exotic snakeskin in shades of baby blue, rose gold, ivory, grey and black. Polished metal hardware in nickel, gunmetal and gold trim the bags.
The designs are available in two styles, ‘Diana’ and ‘Ella’. Diana is crafted from grained calf leather and python with a front flap and detachable chain strap while Ella, crafted from the same materials, is a slender box shape with top flap and push-lock fastening. Micro versions are designed to fit just the essentials and can be styled together in multiple ways or with their larger counterparts.
Where are your products available?
Skin2Skin is currently available at Amal Al Raisi’s Dar Al Aseel boutique in Muscat, as well as at Etoile Boutique in Dubai.