Designer Amal Al Raisi at Oman Across the Ages Museum for her Spring 2024 collection show. Courtesy Amal Al Raisi
The drive alone to the Oman Across Ages Museum from central Muscat is a marvel of Omani beauty. From all sides, jagged mountainscapes jut up from the earth. Every few kilometres, they are peppered with white colored villages hugged by palm tree oasis. The scenes are breathtaking, and not just for their raw beauty, but also for the determination of the Omani people to inhabit their land.
Determination is something that Oman’s foremost designer Amal Al Raisi understands well. For 17 years, Al Raisi, who has a business background, has built a fashion house beloved of elegant women of Oman, the Gulf region, and beyond. This weekend, she invited them to join her at the Oman Across Ages Museum to showcase her Spring 2024 collection but also to launch a vital platform for Omani youth. Supported by Sohar International, the nascent Amal Al Raisi Fashion Design Graduate Program will offer ten Omani fashion graduates a year-long mentorship. “This is what is most important to me. The opportunity to share what I have learned with Omani youth,” states the designer. “When I started out, I had to learn everything myself,” she recalls. Having left her desk job in search of her true calling, almost two decades ago, Al Raisi found more time to nurture what she considered to be a budding hobby–designing dresses for her friends and family. “I just never stopped,” she smiles, her soft eyes emanating a quiet warmth.
Amal Al Raisi Spring 2024 collection showcased at Oman Across Ages Museum. Courtesy Amal Al Raisi
For the first time ever, Oman Across Ages Museum opened its doors to a designer, and Al Raisi humbly recognizes the impact on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Youth. “It is an honor and a dream come true,” she exclaims of the opportunity to present her collection at the museum. “Reflecting the Omani heritage in my…
