Emirates Woman

Founder & Creative Director of Romani,
Haya Jarrar creates unconventional pieces with a touch
of the rebellious. Is she on our guestlist? Absolutely.
What do your first 30 mins of the day look like, your morning routine? I check my
emails the minute I wake up and respond to all of them before getting out of bed.
Then I begin my morning skincare routine and have breakfast before I hit the gym.
Do you feel more drawn to the creative or the business side? Definitely the creative
side. I didn’t even know what an income statement is until I started Romani.
How did you know it was the right time to launch your own brand and what were the
stepping-stones to that point? You know in life, there’s never really the ‘right time’.
It’s always been my dream to start my own label, so I just went for it. Studying fashion
design in university and working in the industry after graduating helped me gain
experience and insight which I used to start my own brand with my own identity.
What has been the biggest hurdle since launching the brand and how did you overcome
it? Starting as a very young girl in this very big industry was very challenging
for me in the beginning. It was a struggle in every single aspect
(finding the right suppliers, creating the right designs
that represent me, promoting my brand and making sure
I’m doing the right thing). With time, you learn that every
successful person in any industry has to struggle a bit before
finding their way.
Do you have any mentors or guides and how does this help
navigate the right path throughout life and your career? My
inspiration and motivation in life is the person I aspire to be
in the future. I try to work really hard
on myself every day and try so hard
to improve myself because everything
you want in life and strive to achieve
is already within you; you just need to
carve your way in.
What do you look for in terms of hiring
your own team? It’s important for me
to be surrounded by a team that understands
my vision. That’s the most
important thing. I also value a team
that is hard working and that has
something to bring to the table.
How has this year impacted the industry
both positively and negatively?
Negatively, as a brand we’ve struggled
in terms of production and missing
fashion weeks and not being able to
showcase our collections and connect
with our customers and having to put things aside for
a while and delaying production. Positively, it gave us the
time and space to sit back, relax and breathe. It made us
realize that we were constantly rushing before. Now, we are
not rushing anymore.
How do you approach scaling the business and what works
in terms of client retention? I want to scale my business by
going into more retails stores and I want to also expand to
other areas (other than fashion) through Romani. We will
be making this reveal very soon!
There’s a rebelliousness and unconventionality to the pieces
you create – was this part of the brand DNA from the outset?
Yes. Usually, from what I see, a lot of designers base their designs
on what buyers are looking for or what is the norm in the
region. For me, I wanted to create designs that represent my
identity and me from the beginning.
Which pieces are your bestsellers and do you notice differing
trends globally in terms of sales? The Sylphina jacket. It’s very
dear to my heart since it’s the first piece I ever created for Romani.
And luckily, it is our most
popular piece.
How has social media affected the
“You know in life,
there’s never really
the ‘right time’.
It’s always been my
dream to start my
own label, so I just
went for it.”
WORDS: AMY SESSIONS
luxury industry and which platform
has been most useful? It enabled
us to become closer to our customers
and helped us understand them
more. Instagram has been the most
useful by far.
Do you have any pre-bedtime rituals?
Recently, I got into meditation.
And it works so much better for me
at night than in the morning. Also,
I really enjoy a nice walk to clear my
mind right before bedtime.
If you were not on your current career
path, which other role would
you have chosen career-wise? I
believe I was born to create. If not
fashion design, then definitely interior and furniture design.
This is ‘The Party Issue’, where/how will you be celebrating this
season? I think I will be somewhere cold, cozy and Christmassy
with my husband and family.
What should you gift the host when attending a dinner?A candle
is always a good idea.
What’s your secret to surviving party season and still looking flawless?
Lots of water, exercise, vitamins and a healthy routine.
What is your go-to party outfit? Either a Romani dress or Romani
suit. You can never go wrong with a Romani suit.
What is on your Wishlist this festive season? Bottega Veneta
boots, an Alexander McQueen knit…
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