From model, to analyst, to designer.
Meet the career maven who tried it all until she found her calling. Dubai-based fashion designer, Paula had a non-linear journey into the world of design. Explore how she created her new label, Paula London, during the pandemic below.
As you may already know, my name is Paula. I was born in Nigeria and raised in London, U.K. from age 13, where I completed high school, college, and my undergrad degree in computer science and business studies. I also started modeling and was scouted by top agencies when I was 15 – I continued modeling along side studying full time. On completing my undergrad degree, I decided to focus on modeling full time and travel for a year, to figure out my next move.
After a year of modeling, I decided to go back to university to pursue a master’s degree in Business Analysis and Consulting and once that was done, I went into the corporate world full time, where I worked in finance and management consulting in the city of London where I worked for a few years. In 2018, I got the opportunity to move to Dubai, working for a well-known local company as a Business Analyst.
One year before the pandemic, I had started working on the Paula London brand and producing samples, although I wasn’t sure if I would ever release them – but with the impact of the pandemic, launching Paula London felt like the right time and thing to do. It was very paramount to me to bring to light my love for fashion and design, coupled with my cooperate experience to create something beautiful that I was passionate about and that other women would love.
Paula London was launched on August 19, 2020. Currently, we sell on our website as well on Namshi.
Image Source: Paula London
About Paula London
Founded and based in the UAE, Paula London is a sustainable luxury brand that provides high quality 100% silk accessories and clothing. Silk as we know has health benefits that are beneficial to our hair and skin, but our value also lies in the creative designing process of our products.
Our artisan prints are designed by our onboard artists and print pattern makers, before being printed on silk. The actual sewing and putting together of the designs is made in Dubai.
Paula London started off with very colorful scarf designs that can be styles whichever way, worn as a headscarf, used as a handbag accessory, to creating fashionable tops that accentuates the female body and today, we have introduces other silk products with more to come, that are purchased and worn by customers not just in the UAE and around the middle east, but all over the world and we continue to grow.
