The Damascus native does not wait on the sidelines. She is the founder of the fashion brand Le Marais 101, an exquisite collector of the arts, and last but not least, a dedicated charity organizer. Allow us to proudly introduce Zina Khair.

Could you please share with us a little bit about your background?&nbsp;

Born and raised in Damascus, Syria, my love for design started in an indirect way. Before founding Le Marais 101, a new fashion concept, I worked alongside my dad in TV production. We produced drama series as well as docu-portraits about various important Syrian personalities in the art scene.&nbsp;

Namely, in 1996, we produced a documentary &ldquo;Moudarres&rdquo; an artistic, philosophical, and very rare dialogue with the artist Fateh Moudarres. We also produced another dialogue documentary, &ldquo;Ombres et Lumi&egrave;res&rdquo;, with Nazih al-Shahbandar, a pioneer of cinematic art in Syria who innovated new methods of sound recording and transmission in the 1930s and 1940s. The two works were co-directed by the three major Syrian directors: Omar Amiralay, Muhammad Malas, and Usama Muhammad. In parallel, I was the managing director of Adonia, an annual award ceremony in Syria for the drama industry, that became a regionally recognized and acclaimed award.&nbsp;

Since my early years, art has always been one of my main passions. I grew up in a house covered from floor to ceiling with Fateh Moudarres paintings, way before this renowned Syrian artist was even famous and his artwork sold at the top auction houses. Naturally, I developed this passion for art and continued with an increasing enthusiasm to collect art pieces and to follow the artistic movement in the region. I was always fascinated and passionate about fashion, but never did so professionally until I created my brand only to realize that fashion is the medium of art where I feel everything is limitless.&nbsp;

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Have you ever rethought your reality, and if yes, what type of conclusions have you established for yourself?&nbsp;

I arrived in the UAE after the conflict in Syria in 2012. That period was a very difficult time in my life. Just like many Syrians, I had lost everything I ever belonged to, my country, my family that was scattered around the globe, and most importantly my own identity. As Syrians, we all grew up believing that we were One... After the civil unrest, we all woke up to a new bitter reality. I always say that a civil war is way more destructive than any other kind of war because it divides one country, one city, one street, one household and pits us against each other. The fracture and the wound are much deeper than what one could possibly comprehend. It takes years and a lot of tolerance and effort to try to restore the lost unity amongst the people.&nbsp;

In parallel, on a personal level, I was going through my own struggles at that time, the struggles of a woman going into her early forties. We live in a world where we are petrified by the idea of getting old. We find ourselves dreading the years instead of enjoying them; sadly often fighting against time instead of embracing it. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the unspoken pressure has raised an unfair set of rules. Most importantly we live in a sexist world, where privileges are given in priority to men, however, and I say it unapologetically, women have unfortunately been ruthless to each other too and to themselves the most. For the simple reason that in moments of weakness, we tend to envy, judge and hate, instead of support, empower and grow stronger together. We live in a world where young women fail to harness their uniqueness.&nbsp;

We find ourselves in a digital era, where it&rsquo;s easy for one to lose one true sense of self. We wake up and go to sleep while social media relentlessly dictates unattainable beauty standards and ideals. And whether we admit it or not, we end up demanding unrealistic expectations from ourselves while the pressure feeds off our insecurities and well-being. This endless race and pressure don&rsquo;t only apply to looks but also to lifestyles. Social media tells you that you can&rsquo;t be happy and proud wearing what you already own, in such a way leaving us rarely satisfied with how we look, how we live, and what we own. We always want and crave more. &ldquo;Latest&rdquo;, &ldquo;prettiest&rdquo;, &ldquo;exclusive&rdquo;, &ldquo;luxurious&rdquo; &ldquo;limited&rdquo;. Social media incessantly throws these terms at us, which has led to a society of mass production and consumption.

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Focusing on Le Marais 101. How did you come up with such a unique idea? Why LM101?&nbsp;

&ldquo;They want us to think alike, be alike, look alike and feel alike when in reality all we should strive for is to be different by simply being ourselves&rdquo;. That is when I decided to create LM101.&nbsp;

LM101 is more of a concept rather than a brand. It is a peaceful rebellion against the unbendable fashion dictates. I thought that it would be nice to create a concept that would try to challenge the status quo, and encourage us to celebrate our individuality, by simultaneously complementing our personal style. The point is that instead of always buying the latest from a brand, you can make each piece that you own, different, and effortlessly distinctive. The idea was conceived to revamp and recycle what we already have within our wardrobes.

I chose to start with handbags because as women we form an exceptional relationship with our most prized material possession: our handbag. It is an accessory item that contains our entire universe, upgrades our outfits, and is furthermore a portrayal of our persona. I wanted to create something that could give a bag a makeover on a daily basis, the opportunity to wear them differently and yet reflect the identity or state of mind of the person carrying it. I wanted to offer a new dimension to handbag accessories, accompanied by an important message on the importance of individuality and sustainability.

I asked my long-time friend, Angelique Kiwan, recognized for her exceptional eye for detail and her talent for sketches, to join me on my new adventure. Although Angelique and I come from entirely different backgrounds and upbringings, we gradually built a rock-solid relationship based on mutual trust and shared principles. In fact, we believe that it is precisely our differences that make our duo stronger and more interesting.&nbsp;

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Could you provide us some insights into the planning process and techniques behind each new design at Le Marais 101?&nbsp;

Initially, we studied the various forms of accessories used to embellish bags available in the market, usually a silk scarf or a few charms. Then we thought of creating a new technique. We chose to translate personality traits into a variety of designs that symbolize the person holding the bag, offering a solution to restyle our bags and dress them in a more personalized way.&nbsp;

Through our creations, we aimed to set aside the dictates of conventional fashion and rather focus on our own individual stories. All of our designs have a different story to tell. The Wings, our iconic design, represent the free, strong, and limitless souls. The Flames are for the passionate, wild, and fearless. The Butterflies are for the hopeful, romantic, and vibrant. The Serpents are for the seductive, hypnotizing, and mesmerizing.&nbsp;

As for the way we work, in general, we don&rsquo;t believe in design or production rules. Our only guidelines are the ones related to the source of our manufacturing materials, the work conditions of the production process, the quality of the finishing, and last but not least, our values in the messages of our motifs: Respect for all races, backgrounds, and sexes.

For the rest, it&rsquo;s an ongoing changing learning process that both my partner and I enjoy very much. For example, we originally designed our pieces for women. As time went by we were pleasantly surprised to learn that men were also interested in our products. Our vision today has shifted from when we initially started, our target customers too... and we believe they will continue to evolve and change. That&rsquo;s the beauty and challenge of this concept.&nbsp;

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What is coming up next for your brand?

We are currently looking for eco-friendlier materials: chrome-free and vegan-friendly ones. We are also working on producing special collections in emerging countries to promote and help sustain local production.&nbsp;

Hopefully down the line, we aim to bring this unique touch to the entire wardrobe and not just to bags. We have started designing prototypes, to revisit belts and shoes, as well as add-ons for shirts and tops. But it&rsquo;s a long-term project that will require a lot of patience and commitment to reach the desired goal. In the meantime, we are enjoying the ups and downs of this bumpy and exciting ride.&nbsp; 
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What are the importance and benefits of giving back to the world?&nbsp;

Personally giving back to society has always been part of my life. Since my early childhood, my sisters and I have been involved in charity work. We would go to orphanages and elderly homes to help out. In 2005 I even co-founded an NGO with a few friends, dedicated to helping the blind and the visually impaired in Syria. Naturally, this was going to be part of LM101 as well.&nbsp;

We had our first initiative in November 2020, where we allotted 30% of our proceeds on the sales of the &ldquo;My heart goes to Daddy&rdquo; badges to support those affected by the pandemic in Syria through an NGO based in Canada called Provided By People.&nbsp;

We will soon be launching another campaign &ldquo;Give Them Wings to Fly&rdquo; where we plan to donate part of our sales on the wings to a school at a refugee camp.&nbsp; 
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You are very well known for your philosophy - &ldquo;... remaining true to who you are is the only thing that will make you special enough to stand out,&rdquo; which you have shared in your previous interviews. You build your brand Le Marais 101 with a strong focus on personality and uniqueness. If you had to choose, what would be your one personality trait that has helped you the most to reach such incredible successes and why?

I wouldn&rsquo;t say &ldquo;incredible successes&rdquo; because I still have a long way to go and most importantly because I enjoy this journey so I&rsquo;m not in a hurry. It&rsquo;s precisely these small wins that make me look forward to the culminating ones.&nbsp;

Also, it&#39;s very difficult to choose one personality trait for the simple reason that magic happens at the intersection of all our complexities. But if I were to choose one, it would probably be my analytical skills, which enable me to recognize and assess my weaknesses and strengths in a somewhat transparent and unbiased way. Without acknowledgment of our weaknesses, there is no place for improvement and without recognition of our strengths, there is no place for gratification and motivation.

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Who or what do you consider as your greatest inspiration?&nbsp;

I don&rsquo;t have a single greatest inspiration. But rather I am inspired by all of the incredible women and men around me, whom I watch as they grow and succeed. Yes, all of these incredible stories you read about in magazines and see in reportage on the TV are absolutely inspirational, but the stories that truly move me are those that I personally get to witness along the way because to me true inspiration resides not only in one&rsquo;s ultimate success but in the journey, the progress, the change.&nbsp;

That fascinating chrysalis I am inspired by those who choose to grow by empowering themselves and those around them. I&rsquo;m inspired by our unique stories, by our differences, by our individuality. I am inspired by those who don&rsquo;t need to compete or compare. Those who are already up there, in a league of their own.

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Pictures:

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Photographer:&nbsp;Michel Takla

HMUA: Kiwarkis

Outfits and Jewelry: Dior

Bag Accessory: Le Marais 101&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A One-on-one Exclusive with Zina Khair

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