AZZA BIJOU

Grey Sheep

@azzabijou

Location

dubai / united arab emirates

For UAE-born Sudanese designer Azza El-Arabi, designing beautiful jewellery is a near-lifelong passion. Producing her first pieces at fourteen years old, the style of her work would evolve over years to come; inspired by travels to Northern Cyprus where she earned a degree in Business Administration and later from time spent honing her design skills at Central St. Martins in London. The culmination of her evolving style over the years is her first full collection launched in 2012; Azza Bijou. Azza Bijou is a veritable history of Islamic architecture, drawing inspiration from the ancient mesquita of Andalusia, the majesty of old-world Egyptian souks and the opulent palaces of Ottoman Istanbul. Heavily influenced by the unique geometric patterns present in Islamic structures, Azza likes to combine these shapes with bright colours and organic silhouettes to create pieces that she believes would become an extension of women, their character and their style. Through Azza Bijou, she hopes to translate her fascination with these unique structures into timeless, everyday wearable pieces.

Latest Collection

Warrior Princess

Inspired by the unsung female heroes of ancient times from the Middle East region and beyond, the Warrior Princess collection has been designed with modern day women who serve the world in key roles in society as its muse. From mothers, politicians and doctors to business women and teachers, the collection is an ode to their hard work.

"The Warrior Princess collection is truly close to my heart,” says Azza Bijou designer Azza El Arabi. “I created this collection as a tribute to the strong women around me from family to colleagues and friends. It is a celebration of women around the world who represent the foundation of their families and communities. Those women who overcome life's many challenges and perform several roles with strength are, in my view, our modern day heroes. To those women, I say celebrate your achievements and wear your Warrior Princess jewellery pieces to remind you of them" she added.

In keeping with Azza Bijou's Islamic theme, each design reflects the intrinsic nature of Islamic artistic patterns. As a reflection of the warrior princess theme, the designs incorporate elements typically found in ancient weaponry and armory. The result is a collection that is both edgy and dramatic whilst remaining delicate and feminine. The collection also utilizes floral designs as well as geometric Islamic patterns.

The Warrior Princess collection is also a celebration of Emirati and Khaleeji culture by Azza Bijou. The discernible "Chainmail Mask" from the collection is a modern spin on the traditional "burqa", a face mask that forms an important part of Khaleeji folklore and a common symbol of modesty and tradition in the region.

The “Flail” pendant and bangle and the “Shield” bracelet incorporate a distinguished line of poetry by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that pays homage to the people of the United Arab Emirates.

The Warrior Princess collection will appeal to all those in pursuit of beauty and elegance as the designs are firmly rooted in Islamic history whilst bringing cutting edge trends and contemporary forms to make this a truly trend setting collection.