Houda Abdulrahman is the Founder of thowby, an online ABAYA Boutique based in Dubai, UAE. Houda Abdulrahman aims to provide the best abayas around UAE and worldwide through the brand. She has an immense passion for fashion that she’s moving forward through thowby.
Team thowby and Houda Abdulrahman are committed to providing the best-in-class and high-quality abayas to women around the globe. All the abayas are as per the latest fashion trends and have exceptional designs. Furthermore, the brand also has an online presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Through our interview with Houda Abdulrahman, we learned that she aims to make her company one of the leading Abaya businesses around the globe. She has perseverance in her work which led her to the position she is in currently. In addition, she’s also focusing on adding new fashion lines related to abayas in the coming future.
Let’s learn more about Houda Abdulrahman through the interview below.
Explain the background of you and the company in detail.
I am an Emirati entrepreneur who created a brand called thowby for the passion of fashion in Abaya.
We are located in the heart of Dubai, the hub of fashion, trends, and everything modern anyone can think of.
thowby ABAYA boutique was established in 2017. It’s a signature Abaya company based in the Emirates of Dubai, UAE.
Our showcase of classic abayas reflects the city’s unique mingling of traditional customs and modern trends. Keeping up with the distinctive fast-paced lifestyle, our designs are constantly updated to reflect the current fashions.
We pride ourselves in offering creatively designed abayas that represent an artistic fusion of traditional and contemporary apparel.
thowby aims to provide a new shopping experience with ease to help women find the exact Abaya that fits their needs to meet every mood and occasion.
Our abayas’ refined class and beauty stem from our own roots in the Arabian Gulf. Furthermore, we strive to enrich every Abaya with the blended threads of our cultural heritage and the beauty of contemporary styles.
What are your goals?
Expand locally to reach all the emirates in the UAE. In addition, we aim to be a leading international Abaya business globally through our online e-commerce boutique.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/company right now?
We have a full-fledged in-house Atelier, where we run our own production. It enables us to produce high-end quality abayas and give our clients excellent care service that meets their expectations and allows them to be satisfied with our service.
What was the path you/your company took to get to where you are today?
Building a strong business model with robust infrastructure and strategy created a sustainable business. Determination and perseverance were my motto throughout the journey which enabled me to overcome any obstacles calmly and wisely to get us to where we are today.
Why did you start (or want to be the head of) this company?
I have always wanted to accomplish running a business of my own. However, I never had the chance because I have always had a professional job that I enjoyed doing. Nonetheless, when the opportunity presented itself, I did not hesitate to take this chance. I was so happy that I made this change.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The pandemic was the biggest challenge. However, challenges never end when you are running a business. The most important thing is that you always learn from what happens with you. With time, you gain experience that makes you become articulate to resolve any issues that you face.
Give us one word that describes you the best?
Perseverance
What makes you excited about Mondays?
I enjoy what I do every single day, so I get excited about everything that I do every step of the way, whether meeting clients, working with the team, or planning the next project.
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
Our core values consist of respect, care, and trust. In addition, we embrace a culture of integrity that we carry internally and externally. We are so proud to apply them internally with our staff and externally with our clients, suppliers, and vendors. As a result, we have gained a reputation of trust from everyone that we deal with.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
Customer service is a key to our business and responding swiftly to clients is something we take very seriously with a lot of care. Hence we strive to maintain a high standard level of service throughout the cycle of the order, right from the moment the client places an order to the time they receive it.
So, I created a system to constantly be in touch with the client as soon as they place the order, keeping them updated on the progress until they receive their abayas. We follow this with a courtesy follow-up to seek feedback. Our clients appreciate this kind of care and keep coming back.
What are your company’s strategies, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
Our brand stands out for being consistent in producing high-quality abayas with premium fabric materials tailored with precision and attention to detail in every piece we create.
What are the key values that helped you overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership?
Respect and integrity are qualities that I carry with me as a shield and vest that I use in my daily life. I believe starting from within yourself by equipping yourself with the right soft skills will sharpen your leadership skills and make you a role model to your staff and others and act as a branding tool to what you want the people to see about the brand.
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
We are working on expanding locally and internationally; we will be introducing new fashion lines that are relevant to Abayas but in a more versatile way.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
My focus goes to the team. I treat them as assets that set the pillar of the company. My clients, without a doubt, are a pillar as well, without whom the business will not continue to run. So we strive to provide them with the utmost client care with exceptional first-class service.
What services/solutions or products does your company offer at par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services?
We offer abayas for all occasions for women from all over the globe. We plan to offer more varieties and add more abaya lines in the future.
thowby is committed to creating luxuriously elegant and classic, high-quality abayas designed to dress women fashionably without sacrificing their desire to be covered modestly. At thowby, we stay up to date with modern fashion news and trends to produce the best designs for our clients.
We also realize that one style of the garment does not fit the needs of all women, so we create thowby abayas for every occasion, whether it be family outings, casual gatherings with friends, weddings, formal celebrations, or simply a day at the office. And although our Arabian Gulf heritage undeniably inspires our designs, thowby abayas provide an elegant alternative for women across the globe who seek truly stunning yet modest clothing regardless of their ethnicity, background, or religion.
Join our thowby family today, and experience for yourself the personalized treatment and the splendor of wearing our high-fashion abayas!
Connect with Houda Abdulrahman on LinkedIn!