DUBAI: Emirati designer Muna Abrahim, founder of the brand Byalmuna, is busy preparing her new collection, set to hit the rails in February 2020. The brand, launched in 2014, adds luxurious allure to evening dressing with floral embroidered elements and breezy silhouettes. The modest pieces feature intricate floral embroidery studded with faux pearls, chic knife pleats and flowy, long sleeves. Not only are Abrahim’s pieces trendy, but she also designs them to fit the personality and the culture of the people who wear them. “I know they have to wear abayas or (scarfs) with my dresses, (so) they need to show the hand embroidery on the side or on the top. When I launched the line, I design it to be very comfortable,” Abrahim’s told Arab News. Before launching her brand, the designer found it challenging to find dresses that are modern and trendy yet modest. “I was finding it very difficult to find modest designs for our culture. I tried to look for something modern but at the same time with long sleeves and a long (skirt). So, I started to buy the ready-to-wear(items) and modify them,” she said. Each piece designed by Abrahim represents her Emirati heritage while also managing to remain fresh and modern. “We do a combination of hand embroidery and machine embroidery,” she said of the label’s keen attention to detail. Abrahim, whose fan base extends beyond the Gulf region, has been receiving orders from the UK and the US. “They like the kaftans, but they do some adjustments. For example, they can ask to remove the sleeve, and we do what they ask for,” she said. The designer said she hopes to see her kaftan on Emirati royal family member and politician Sheikha Manal Bint Rashid Al-Maktoum. “I’ve heard from so many people that she has really good taste in fashion although she does not show her face on social media,” Abrahim explained. In February 2017, Byalmuna collaborated with the Italian luxury brand Bulgari on a photoshoot of bags and high-end jewelry in which the models showed off her kaftans, cementing her status as a luxury brand to watch.