Kuwaiti designer blends fashion and gardening on global stage

This article was originally published in Kuwait Times. Read the original version here

 

Founder of sustainable fashion brand Rawa Alloughani represents Kuwait in UK’s horticultural exchange program under patronage of King Charles III

Rawa Alloughani, founder of Kuwait’s sustainable fashion brand, was recently selected by Kuwait’s ministry of foreign affairs to join the prestigious horticultural exchange program hosted by The King’s Foundation in the United Kingdom under the patronage of King Charles III.

For Alloughani, fashion and gardening may seem worlds apart, yet both bloom from the same seed of intention. As the visionary behind a socially conscious fashion house and a gardening page dedicated to organic living, she has woven her passions into a lifestyle where beauty and responsibility go hand in hand. In her world, a carefully tailored jacket carries the same reverence as a hand-planted seed.

Kuwait Times: What sparked your interest in sustainability and fashion?

Alloughani: It began with a feeling that fashion should be more than just how we look — it should reflect how we care. I’ve always been drawn to design, but as I learned more about the harm caused by fast fashion, I knew I wanted to take a different path. Gardening made me deeply aware of nature’s cycles and taught me that sustainability is a way of living. Combining fashion and sustainability felt natural. I wanted to show the world that elegance and ethics can thrive together.

 

 

KT: What influences shaped your perspective on design and responsibility toward the environment?

Alloughani: Nature has always been my greatest teacher. Gardening taught me patience, balance, and how to work with what the earth gives us, not against it. Community shaped me just as much. I’m constantly inspired by traditional Kuwaiti crafts like Sadu weaving and embroidery, which carry the stories of our people. For me, design is about honoring heritage, preserving culture and creating with responsibility.

KT: What role has Kuwait’s culture and environment played in your design?

Alloughani: Kuwait is a land of contrasts — intense heat, limited resources, yet endless creativity and resilience. I’ve always admired how our people grow beauty from scarcity. It’s shaped the way I design: With intention, humility and purpose. Our culture celebrates modesty, storytelling and resourcefulness, values I carry in every piece I create. For example, we turn all leftover fabric cuttings into dust bags, ensuring nothing goes to waste. That’s not just sustainability; it’s Kuwaiti ingenuity.

KT: How did you feel when you were selected to represent Kuwait in the horticultural exchange program?

Alloughani: It was a surreal and deeply humbling moment. To be chosen to represent Kuwait as both a designer and a gardener was the perfect intersection of my two loves. It felt like the world was saying: Yes, your values matter. Even more beautifully, it showed that Kuwait is ready to lead on the global stage when it comes to culture, creativity and sustainability.

 

                                      Reference from Kuwait Times