#UAEReads: Magic of books inspires creativity in Emirati designer Lamya Abedin

An Emirati fashion designer talks about her five favourite books.

Emirati fashion designer Lamya Abedin says books can help people overcome hindrances and negative vibes. Pawan Singh / The National
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Emirati designer Lamya Abedin, the founder of couture line Queen of Spades, says books are magical inspirations that often help shape her designs.

Reading fuels the imagination of this self-taught designer, whose bridal outfits, abayas and babywear are popular across the region.

“Books are an inspiration because they enter your thoughts,” she says. “Reading creates magical memories that become like an encyclopaedia in your mind. It keeps your mind working, makes you more interesting and attractive as a person.

"It all started for me when I was very young, with my mother reading bedtime stories such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Then we needed to write book reports at the British school I attended. It was not just homework because I enjoyed connecting with the books."

Gone with the Wind, in which main character Scarlett O'Hara transforms a curtain into a dress, also strikes a chord.

“I think of how Scarlett didn’t have funds but wanted to look beautiful,” says Abedin. “She used her creative mind to recycle a curtain and look her best.”

She enjoys reading books thatspan eras, as well as biographies and fashion books.

“Reading about others helps you understand that the hardest thing in your life, you can actually move with one hand,” she says. “Books help you to overcome hindrances or negative vibes you face. When you read, you also remember what [Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai] says: that nothing is impossible and that we can achieve anything.”

rtalwar@thenational.ae