Recipient of 9th Golden Excellence Awards 2026 for Fashion & Retail Innovation By: Shaneer Siddiqui
1. Tell us about yourself, your business journey and your contribution to the UAE.
I started Layla Couture out of a single atelier in Deira in 2011, designing modest wear that blended traditional silhouettes with contemporary tailoring. What began as a made-to-order label has grown into a retail group with boutiques across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and an online platform that ships to over thirty countries. My contribution to the UAE has been to show that homegrown fashion houses can compete internationally without losing their cultural identity — and to create a runway, quite literally, for young Emirati and expat designers who now show their collections under our label each season.
2. What does receiving the 9th Golden Excellence Award for Fashion & Retail Innovation mean to you?
It means a great deal, especially coming under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahayan, whose work on tolerance and coexistence has shaped how open and welcoming this industry is here. Fashion is often seen as decorative, but for us it has always been about identity and dignity. This award tells me that story is being heard.
3. How do you view the role of the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence in shaping the UAE’s society?
Fashion in the UAE is a living example of coexistence — designers, tailors, and buyers from dozens of nationalities working side by side every day. The Ministry’s work gives that everyday collaboration a deeper meaning. It reminds us that respecting different cultures isn’t just good manners, it’s good business, and it’s the reason a brand like ours can dress women from completely different backgrounds and have each of them feel seen.
4. What opportunities do you see emerging in your industry over the next few years?
Modest fashion is one of the fastest-growing segments globally, and the UAE is positioned to lead it, the way Paris leads couture. I also see huge opportunity in AI-assisted personalization — customers want pieces tailored to their body and taste without the six-week wait, and technology is finally catching up to that demand.
5. What are your company’s key plans and growth priorities for the future?
We’re opening our first flagship outside the region next year, and investing heavily in a made-to-measure digital platform. But our real priority remains training the next generation of regional designers so the industry doesn’t depend on imported talent forever.
“Fashion here isn’t about following trends from elsewhere — it’s about giving this region a voice of its own.” — Aisha Al Marzooqi
