Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz is reimagining her luxury retail business by closing her iconic brick-and-mortar stores in Riyadh and Doha to launch an online luxury shopping site called Dnachic.com. She has spent the last two years working with an international team to design the site to recreate the intimacy and curation of a luxury boutique online. Dnachic.com will feature exclusive looks and custom designs from emerging and established designers from around the world. By launching the site, Deena hopes to tap into an untapped online luxury market and introduce new designers and styles to Arab women.

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81 HarpersBazaarArabia.com May 2016
XXXThe
Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz
re-imagines the Gulf’s luxury
retail landscape with a bold
move to shutter her iconic
store and launch into the
e-commerce stratosphere
Words by Alex Aubry
TALKINGPOINTThe
Fashion’s
NEXT
Lakshmi Menon wears
dress byTome for
Dnachic.com’s first
editorial shoot

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Around
10pm on a snowy
New York evening in
February, Deena Aljuhani
Abdulaziz quietly slipped out of a
dinner party hosted in honour of Jean-Paul
Goude and Carine Roitfeld. Gliding down the
sidewalk in a floor length mustard yellow evening
gown by The Row, she quickly spots her waiting car
and climbs into its back seat.
“It’s been a long day and I’ve only been in New York for less
than 24 hours,” says the Saudi retailer, pulling out her two
phones to catch up on emails from her team in Riyadh. Since
launching D’NA, her iconic members-only store nearly a decade ago,
with locations in Riyadh and Doha, Deena has become a serious player
within the industry. A regular front row fixture during fashion week, she
has carved out a niche for D’NA as an independent fashion voice in the
Middle East and beyond, earning her a place on the Business of Fashion’s list
of top 500 individuals shaping the global fashion industry.
“She is a rarity as one of the few Arab women, let alone a woman from the Gulf,
to make inroads into a tough business and manage to maintain her presence,”
observes Leandra Medine, the influential author and fashion blogger behind The Man
Repeller. Yet as Deena prepares to celebrate D’NA’s 10-year anniversary, she is not about
to rest on her laurels. Instead, for the last two years she has been discreetly orchestrating
D’NA’s reinvention.This month her iconic bricks-and-mortar stores will close their doors
on the day Deena launches Dnachic.com, a new concept in online luxury shopping.
“As I was approaching this milestone in my career, I wanted to think about my next move
and challenge myself,” confides the Saudi fashion entrepreneur, known for her innovative
approach to luxury retail in the Gulf region. In addition to being the first retailer in the
Middle East to feature her store on Farfetch.com, Deena has built her reputation with an
expert eye for sourcing emerging design talent. Frequently commissioning them to create
custom pieces or alter their designs with her clients’ lifestyles in mind, she has been known to
introduce limited edition items such as chic abayas by the likes of Marni and Martine Sitbon.
“The fashion industry and retail landscape in the Gulf has changed considerably since I first
started out, and I’ve increasingly thought about how I can meaningfully contribute and
respond to this shift in the industry,” says Deena, who sees her decision to close her stores and
re-launch online as a natural evolution of her business. “A few years ago I began to notice
a shift in my clients, who were increasingly shopping online instead of visiting physical stores.
Although the Gulf has been slow to embrace online luxury shopping, today Saudi women
are frequently purchasing big ticket items from their phones,” she notes, pointing to her
expanding international clientele as another reason for launching Dnachic.com.
“Over the years we’ve had enquiries from individuals from LA to Tokyo, because we
happened to be the only store in the world carrying a particular dress by a designer,” says
Deena, who soon realised she needed to capitalise on D’NA’s growing reputation as
a purveyor of the chic and unique in fashion and accessories. “With Dnachic.com, my
intention isn’t to compete with established mega-retailers such as Net-A-Porter or
MyTheresa, with their large selection of designer items catering to a broad audience.
Instead, I wanted to create a counterpoint to these established luxury ecommerce
sites, similar to the role specialised boutiques played as an alternative to large
department stores,” observes Deena, who set about recreating the intimacy of
a curated luxury boutique online with a particular point of view.
“There is so much fashion out there today that we’ve lost that sense of
exclusivity and uniqueness. Bringing that sensibility to an online audience
is the next frontier. It’s not about being everything to everybody,” says
Deena, who sees Dnachic.com as uniquely positioned to respond to
an untapped market. Although a number of multi-brand
boutiques have sprung up in the Gulf over the last 10 years, she
notes that most employ foreign buyers to shop for their
Gulf clientele. “Having an understanding of my client’s
lifestyle has been key to our success as a store,
because it influences what I will buy, not only
in terms of looks, but also keeping in
mind appropriate sizing and body
shape, which perhaps isn’t
the case with other
retailers.”
To bring
her vision to life,
Deena has spent the last
year flying between Riyadh,
London and New York, working with
an international team of web designers,
ecommerce specialists, writers and graphic
designers. Instead of heading back to her hotel after
dinner and a packed day of appointments, on this
particular evening she is on her way to Long Island where her
car pulls up in front of Milk Studios’ second outpost. Inside,
fashion photographer John Guerrero, surrounded by a team of
assistants, is shooting model Lakshmi Menon posing in a voluminous
white-buttoned shirt over a floor length ivory lace skirt by Adam Selman.
Deena has come to supervise what will be the most visible feature of
Dnachic.com’s launch; an atmospheric editorial featuring the statuesque
Indian supermodel in looks styled by Deena. “What I find intriguing is that
you wouldn’t necessarily identify this look as being Adam’s because he didn’t show
it like that on the runway,” she observes, while instructing Lakshmi to roll up her
sleeves and pose with her arms folded to emphasise the shirt’s volume from the back.
“This is how I would wear it, and this is really what I want to convey through Dnachic.
com. Mixing something casual with something almost couture-like is what modern
dressing is all about,” she adds, of her unique approach to putting looks together.
“It’s not enough today to simply present looks exactly how the designer showed them
on the runway or simply sell a top or a skirt. When I started mapping out what this site
would look like, I was constantly presented with formulaic models and told, ‘this is how
it’s been done and this is what works’. But that formula doesn’t necessarily reflect a curated
boutique experience,” says Deena, noting that most of her customers do not purchase
separate items but looks that she herself creates by combining pieces from a designer’s
collection in a fresh way that will appeal to her customer. “My clients are too sophisticated
for that. They expect to see looks that mix different pieces from a designer’s collection in
a chic and modern way, it’s the whole point of why one visits a specialised store.”
Ironically, for this particular shoot Lakshmi Menon bears an uncanny resemblance to
the Saudi style icon, with her tanned skin and a neat bob recalling 1920s American actress,
Louise Brooks. It is a coincidence not lost on Deena, who chatted with Lakshmi during
a short break about the lack of diversity within the fashion industry. “Launching any kind
of online platform provides one with a voice, and I knew early on that I didn’t want to
simply sell clothes. It was also about widening the conversation surrounding beauty, to
include models of colour that my own daughter and other Arab women can relate too,”
notes the mother of three regarding choosing Lakshmi, who is amongst a roster of
models handpicked by Deena to reflect diverse skin tones in the Middle East.
“What attracted me to Lakshmi wasn’t simply her timeless look and elegance, but also the
way she projects strength and wisdom. She’s more mature than some of the top models out
there today and there is a worldliness to her that reflects the Dnachic.com woman,” says
Deena, who wanted to break the established rules of luxury ecommerce. Amongst them,
was the decision to move away from standard clinical shots of garments photographed
on models standing in front of a stark backdrop. Instead her looks are shot in
movement or cropped in unexpected ways to evoke an emotional response.
“Fashion is an emotional purchase, and I knew the site had to be
aspirational and capture a luxury experience. I want women to explore
Dnachic.com and become inspired,” says Deena, who was one of the first
retailers in the world to pick up now-established labels such as Jason Wu and
Prabal Gurung. Yet despite her track record for nurturing new talent, she
has spent the last few seasons searching beyond the traditional centres
of fashion. “What I love the most about my job is discovering new
designers and introducing them to an Arab audience.Today I find
that some of the most interesting ideas are coming out of places
such as Russia and Australia,” Deena says, confirming that
labels such as Alena Akhmadullina, Toni Maticevski,
Awake and Ellery on her new site.
By now Lakshmi has changed into a powder-
blue kaftan by Masterpeace, a young
Moscow-based label founded by
Evgenia Linovich, who
collaborates with
R u s s i a n
TALKINGPOINTThe
Deena attends a buying
appointment at Rabih
Kayrouz in Paris
Lalshmi wears
dress by Brock
Exclusive
designs for
Dnachic.com.
Right: Awake;
below:
both Daneh
Buahmad.
Left: An
invitation for
Moncler’s
A/W16 show
in Paris
➤
JOHNGUERRERO.TODDMACINTIRE

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85 HarpersBazaarArabia.com May 2016
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a r t i s a n s .
She poses on the
floor as Deena fashions a
turbanonherhead,alookinspired
by one of her favourite fashion images.
“I wanted to recall Irving Penn’s 1951
photograph taken in Marrakesh of his wife Lisa
Fonssagrives-Penn, titled Woman in Moroccan Palace,”
notes Deena, who has an encyclopedic memory when
it comes to iconic fashion moments. “With Deena it’s all
about the references to a particular image in Vogue or Harper’s
Bazaar from the 1950s or ’70s. That knowledge gives her a certain
credibility in the industry. She is so informed about fashion history
I always leave feeling as if I’ve learnt something new,” observes Tamu
McPherson, the noted street-style photographer and name behind the blog,
All the Pretty Birds.
Early the next morning, while having breakfast in the lobby of her SoHo
hotel, Deena points to a stack of books and magazines by her side. “This was
really the starting point for the design of the website,” she says, while flipping
through pages showing the work of legendary art directors at Harper’s Bazaar and
Vogue, such as Alexey Brodovitch, Alexander Liberman and Dr Mehemed Fehmy
Agha. “Although he is somewhat forgotten today, the Turkish-born Agha was
responsible for defining the role of the art director within magazines. During his tenure
at American Vogue from 1929-1943, he was the first to introduce double-page spreads,
images without borders and clean, modern designs,” notes Deena, pulling out from the
bottom of the stack one of her most prized possessions, a copy of the September 1992 issue
of American Harper’s Bazaar.
The publication’s inaugural issue under the helm of its new editor in chief, Liz Tilberis,
its striking cover featured the model Linda Evangelista elegantly tilting her hand upwards
to cup the third A in Bazaar with a single definitive statement, Enter the Era of Elegance.
“When I first saw this issue it completely changed my conception of what a fashion
magazine should look like with its innovative layouts and typography by Fabien Baron.
From 1992-1999 Liz managed to transform Bazaar into a jewel box of ideas and
inspiring imagery, and I wanted to recapture that timeless modern aesthetic for
Dnachic.com; from the site’s layout, to our newly designed logo and even the
packaging,” says Deena, as she prepares to leave for her first show of the day.
At Rosie Assoulin’s presentation held at a gallery space in the Meatpacking District,
she snakes past a live piano player and an installation of melting multicoloured candles
to make her way to a very pregnant Rosie. “This is the Deena dress,” announces the
designer while leading the Saudi retailer through the crowd towards a model wearing
a cobalt-blue ball gown sporting a lightening-rod cutout at its bodice. “I got to know
Deena as a friend first long before I launched my own line, and she’s one of those
women I think about when designing each season. She has always been incredibly
supportive and was one the first buyers to pick up my collection,” says Rosie, whose
approach to combining easy American sportswear with dramatic couture shapes, has
made her a bestseller amongst D’NA’s clients.
Over the course of the day Deena will find herself shuttling between Uptown and
Downtown New York attending shows and buying appointments with upcoming
American designers such as Brock, Gabriela Hearst and Monse. By 5pm, she’s
made her way to SophieTheallet’s show, held in the wood panelled and marbled
hall of a stately Wall Street building, where Umm Kulthum’s melodic voice
wafts through the sound system. Deena makes her way to her seat, stopping
along the way to speak to fellow editors and retailers such as Linda Fargo
of Bergdorf Goodman. By the time the last model has left the runway,
she has made mental notes of the pieces she wants to order. “I loved
this collection. Sophie really went back to her couture roots this
time. She’s a master of cut and drape, and her use of rich silks
and velvets is a new departure for her,” Deena enthuses.
The next day, she makes her way
to Sophie Theallet’s studio in the
Garment District to place her order.
“This will probably be one of my
most relaxed appointments of the
day,” confides Deena, who
has known the French
New York-
b a s e d
designer for over
two decades. “I feel like I’ve
watched her grow into a woman.
When I first met Deena she was a young
girl being fitted for her wedding dress at
Azzedine Alaïa’s in 1996,” recalls Sophie who
served as Alaïa’s right hand until she moved to New
York to launch her own label. “I met a lot of people in the
fashion industry long before I opened my store, and having
those long-standing relationships has been important to
nurturing my business,” says Deena, as she scans the racks of
clothes, quickly selecting the pieces that caught her eye.
“As a buyer she is very quick and knows exactly what will work for
her customer,” observes Sophie, who has her in-house model try on
each of Deena’s selections to discuss possible alterations. “This is the fun
part. I love to work with designers to tweak their looks to reflect my clients’
lifestyles. I wanted to bring that same level of customisation to a broader
audience through Dnachic.com,” notes Deena of Sophie, who is among
a number of designers to have created exclusive looks for her website’s launch.
When the site debuts this month, customers will be able to shop one-of-a-kind
looks and accessories by Mary Katrantzou, Nicopanda, Gianvito Rossi, Aquazzura
and Eddie Borgo, amongst others.
Two weeks later Deena is back in Paris, after stops in London and Milan, for another
round of shows and buying appointments. Walking up the cobbled pathway to Lebanese
designer Rabih Kayrouz’s studio, she shows no signs of slowing down after three weeks on
the road. Light streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the designer’s showroom,
which once housed an experimental theatre. “Rabih really stands out from other Middle
Eastern designers, in that he understands modern restrained elegance. The cut and finish of
his pieces are always impeccable, and other designers will often ask me about a piece I’m
wearing by him,” says Deena, as Rabih walks her through key looks in the collection.
Reflecting Deena’s on-going commitment to nurturing cross-cultural conversations through
fashion and design, Dnachic.com will also serve as a platform to bring exposure to the work of
emerging design talent from the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf region in particular. Over
the years, she has mentored a number of designers and brands from the region such as
The Kayys, Wadha Al Hajri, Reem Al Kanhal, Reemami, and Nathalie Trad. For her website’s
launch, Bahraini London-based designer Lulwa Al Amin created an exclusive look for Dnachic.
com. “Deena was one of my earliest supporters, and as young Arab designers we need the kind
of constructive advice that she provides. It was only when I visited D’NA in Riyadh and saw
the quality of the designs she carries that I understood why it has become a destination,” says
Lulwa, who sees Deena playing a role in bridging cultures.
“My approach to selecting Arab designers for my store is no different than any other
designer, in that I’m looking for a feminine modern approach to dressing. But if we don’t
support our own talent at home and help them build recognition internationally, then it
will be difficult to nurture a credible fashion industry in the region,” cautions Deena,
who can be seen during fashion week wearing designs by many of brands she has
mentored. “Editors and buyers will stop me to ask what I’m wearing, and they are
often surprised to hear it is by an Arab designer,” she observes, believing fashion can
play a role in changing perceptions about the Arab World.
“While working in the fashion industry, I’ve encountered a number of
misconceptionsabouttheMiddleEastandArabwomeninparticular,”shesays,
further explaining the additions to her fashion selections on Dnachic.com,
such as a section calledThe Chic. “It will feature inspiring editorials on chic
cosmopolitan women from the Middle East and around the globe who
expanded our notions of style and beauty,” explains Deena, who also
plans to roll out new features on Dnachic.com in the coming
months, such as The Vault, a new concept in vintage shopping
where customers can purchase never-before-worn custom
evening gowns made exclusively for D’NA over the
last 10 years by designers such as Rodarte. “Looking
back over the last decade, it’s been an incredible
journey, and I’m looking forward
to the next 10 years to come,” says
Deena as she embarks on
a new chapter in
her career. ■
TALKINGPOINTThe
Lakshmi wears dress
by Rosie Assouline
Deena Abdulaziz
looks through
Gabriela Hearst’s
A/W16 collection
Exclusives designs
for Dnachic.com. Left:
Sophie Theallet; above:
Nicopanda; below:
Rauwolf bags