Amin Abbas Dubai

Japanese designer Takeshi Iwata says he designs Abayas with unique styles and colors for the Arab market.

He told Arab News Japan his main inspiration in designing abayas is to “protect the traditional fashion of Islamic women,” since the Japanese Kimono culture is “disappearing.”

“When I visited the UAE for the first time in 2011 for sightseeing, I saw the Abaya and felt the integrity and perfection of it,” Iwata said. “What makes Japanese Abaya special is that it’s reflecting Japanese aesthetics in terms of designs, colors and applied skills.”

Iwata said he uses Japanese silk for his abayas.

He added that there are various fabrics in Japan “such as hemp, cotton and polyester.”

“So, I would like to use such fabrics in the future. It takes at least 10 to 14 days to make each piece,” Iwata said.

“I’m actually still establishing my style. It feels that I’ve just started this journey of discovery or as they say in Arabic — maktoob,” he added.

Iwata said he visited various countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman.

“I enjoy listening to the beautiful sound of the Adhan in any Arab country,” he explained.

“The most inspirational aspect that I adopted from the Arab culture is the spirit of paying respect to elders and friends as well as helping people who have trouble,” he added.

Iwata said there were so many new fashion trends in Japan, especially with social media available everywhere nowadays, adding it is important to discover new ideas through old traditions.

“People can expect to see a lot more of me and I’m looking forward to learn more about Arab world so that I can part of this wonderful culture,” he said.