With a mission to support fashion talent on the international stage, M7’s The Global Edit programme features three standout designers, and OHLALA spoke to them to uncover what happens behind the scenes.
M 7, the fashion, design and technology hub operating under Qatar Museums and led by Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has introduced The Global Edit – a programme focused on supporting designers as they expand beyond their home markets and position themselves internationally.
Conceived as a flexible, designer-first initiative, it responds to the practical and creative challenges of building a fashion brand today. The programme offers tailored mentorship, strategic direction and access to key fashion platforms, with support shaped around each designer’s identity, ambitions and target markets rather than a fixed curriculum.
For its first edition, The Global Edit highlights three brands selected for their craftsmanship, unique creations and passion: Gigeez, Tagreed Omer Couture and TASH AND LEY. As part of the programme, their latest collections were presented in a pop-up at the Studio 7 concept store in the M7 building. OHLALA spoke with each of the designers about their creative journeys, the ideas driving their work and how M7’s support is influencing their brand development.
Gigeez
Launched in 2022, Gigeez is a fashion label rooted in sustainability, inclusivity and multiculturalism. Handmade in Qatar, the brand is known for its upcycled garments crafted from dead stock fabrics, particularly Indian sarees, reimagined into contemporary silhouettes.
Drawing inspiration from the Arab kaftan, Indian saree and Japanese obi, it creates versatile pieces designed for movement and individuality. Minimal-waste practices, zero-waste packaging and inclusive sizing underpin the brand’s ethos, positioning Gigeez as both a design-driven and values-led label.
OHLALA – What inspires you when reworking dead stock sarees into new designs, and why did you specifically choose sarees?
Gigeez – Our brand’s most resonant value is sustainability; we found that using dead stock materials helps create a story and gives life to the dresses. The Indian sarees we have collected over the years were gorgeous on their own. However, we wanted a versatile way of wearing a contemporary kaftan while still preserving traditional Indian textiles and elements.
OHLALA – The new Grace design is inspired by one of Grace Jones’ iconic fashion moments (when Azzedine Alaïa dressed her for the Oscars in 1985). What aspects of the style did you want to channel into this piece?
Gigeez – The famous Alaïa pink dress has a hoodie in the back. With this visual idea, we wanted to create a dress that can be worn with or without a headscarf, given its versatility. This piece is so adaptable that we wished for the person wearing it to feel as free as possible to manipulate the scarf, length, belt and size as they preferred. The dress has to channel what the person wants to tell or to feel.
OHLALA – With versatility playing a major role in your designs, what do you hope wearers will discover about themselves when styling your pieces in their own way?
Gigeez – The main idea behind Gigeez is uniqueness and individuality with each textile and pattern. With this, we hope wearers will understand how easily the dress can be worn, as simple as they come, with jeans for a casual look, or even under a suit to elevate an ordinary outfit. Each dress offers multiple ways of wearing, allowing freedom of expression without overbuying clothes designed for a single use.
OHLALA – What impact does being featured at M7 have on the way you communicate your brand’s story and creative identity?
Gigeez – Working with M7 has helped us tremendously, putting us on the regional map and giving us access to great mentorships. It has opened doors to greater opportunities and connections, giving us the confidence to push our passions and ideas into reality while exposing us to the wider fashion industry in Qatar.
Tagreed Omer Couture
Tagreed Omer Couture is a luxury fashion house merging fine craftsmanship with sustainability and innovation. Known for its zero-waste couture approach and AI assisted design process, the brand creates pieces that balance cultural heritage with contemporary elegance.
Founded by Tagreed Omer, whose background spans luxury couture, the label draws inspiration from multiple cultures while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainable practice. With stockists including Printemps and 51 East, the brand continues to shape conversations around responsible high-end fashion.
OHLALA – Your hand-painted Damask flower has become a signature. What does this motif mean to you personally and how has it evolved across your work?
Tagreed Omer – I love the Damask flower because it gives me a feeling of hope and joy. It connects many cultures – from Damascus to Morocco and Taif – and it’s also part of our everyday life through perfumes, oils, food and beauty. I feel it reflects who I am and its colours make me happy. Over time, it has become a symbol in my work, especially given its rich history in traditional patterns and ancient walls.
OHLALA – What inspired you to tell the story of a Sudanese-Moroccan bride in the Zeena collection showcased at the M7 pop-up?
Tagreed – I am Sudanese but have roots in Morocco, so the connection between both cultures feels natural and beautiful. The collection started when I visited the Atlas section at the Museum of Islamic Art. The colours, jewellery and craftsmanship inspired me and I wanted to merge both worlds in Zeena. The Moroccan melhfa and the Sudanese toob share the same elegance, movement and femininity, which made the story feel complete.
OHLALA – How do you choose colours when each one carries a symbolic meaning?
Tagreed – For me, colours are emotions before they are choices. I pick colours that express the feeling of the story – joy, strength, nostalgia or celebration. I let the story guide the palette, so each colour speaks for itself.
OHLALA – What impact does being featured at M7 have on how you communicate your brand’s story and creative identity?
Tagreed – Being featured at M7 gave me strong support and a bigger platform to express my identity with more clarity and confidence. It pushed me to refine my storytelling and focus on the beauty, craftsmanship and culture that shape Tagreed Omer Couture. Without M7’s support, I wouldn’t have been able to bring many of my ideas to life.
TASH AND LEY
Founded by Tasha Saradar and Lea Al Chaa, TASH AND LEY sits at the intersection of art and fashion, creating silk scarves conceived as wearable artworks. Symbolised by the hummingbird (a marker of freedom, movement and curiosity), the brand places individuality at its core.
The scarf acts as a central canvas, produced in limited quantities using high-quality silk to ensure each piece feels personal and expressive. Sustainability is embedded into the brand’s practice, with damaged scarves and excess fabric reworked into mini talē (twilly) scarves, silk scrunchies and bag charms, ensuring minimal waste.
Natural fabrics, recycled packaging and digital printing techniques that reduce water and chemical use further reinforce the brand’s eco-conscious ethos, positioning TASH AND LEY as a label where creativity and responsibility coexist.
OHLALA – How did the two of you first meet and realise you wanted to create a brand together?
Tasha Saradar – We met when Ley moved to Lebanon for university and connected instantly. Our friendship grew so naturally that we quickly became close friends who shared the same values and interests, and I always admired her talent as an artist. Honestly, we never imagined we’d end up working together or building a brand. She was focussed on her graphic design career and I was studying finance. Looking back, our strengths naturally balanced each other and that’s still at the core of how we operate today. After my post-graduation, I had the idea of creating a brand centred around art and turning it into something wearable. Ley was the only person I could imagine doing this with, and the timing aligned perfectly because she had just quit her job. We both decided to commit full-time to bringing this idea to life. Everything f lowed effortlessly from that point. What started as two friends with zero plans of working together suddenly became a full-time journey we both naturally stepped into.
OHLALA – Your scarves balance a unique marriage of art and fashion. How do you decide which artistic influences or themes translate best into wearable pieces?
Lea Al Chaa – The approach is very intuitive. Art that carries emotion and personality naturally becomes a compelling fashion piece. I’ve always believed that art doesn’t need heavy justification to belong on fabric: beautiful, expressive artwork will always elevate a garment. Each design is treated as a work of art in its own right. It begins with its own story and world, rather than following trends or formulas. If a theme or illustration feels meaningful, it becomes a strong candidate for a wearable piece.
OHLALA – How did working with different Lebanese artists shape the Untitled collection showcased at the M7 pop-up?
Tasha and Lea – The Untitled collection was created with the intention of opening the brand to collaborations and building a creative community. We want to give artists a space where their work can be translated into fashion and seen in a new context. Starting with Lebanese artists felt meaningful, not only because of shared roots, but because Lebanon has incredible talent that deserves more visibility. Each artist brought a unique perspective and we were genuinely honoured to have their trust throughout the process. We didn’t impose a theme or ask anyone to fit in a specific direction. Each artwork stands on its own, carrying the artist’s identity, style and story.
OHLALA – What impact does being featured at M7 have on the way you communicate your brand’s story and creative identity?
Tasha and Lea – Being part of M7 has been transformative for our evolution. It gave us the chance to step back, re-evaluate and refine how the brand presents itself, both visually and strategically. M7 pushed us to become more intentional with our communication and more aligned with our long-term vision. It opened doors, expanded our network and encouraged us to think bigger about where TASH AND LEY can go next.