How 35 Burgundy lead the world of independent design for the past decade

Fashion

Mustafa Abbas has never waited for a season to tell him what to make, and in the ten years since he founded 35 Burgundy in Dubai in 2017 the brand has introduced new leather pieces only when one felt right for its world, a habit that has kept it apart from the traditional fashion calendar and that it carries into its tenth anniversary in 2027.

What began as a personal creative venture has grown into a distinctive leather goods brand, recognised for its minimal design and contemporary aesthetic. Over the years, 35 Burgundy has expanded its collections for men and women while staying true to the simplicity and character of its earliest designs. Its creative identity extends beyond the products themselves, reflected in the brand’s photography and visual direction.

Local manufacturing sits at the centre of that world, since every piece is designed by Abbas himself and produced in the UAE, where premium leathers sourced from respected international tanneries are brought together with the work of local craftsmen.

For Abbas, who founded the brand and continues to oversee its design and creative direction personally, the anniversary is an occasion to recognise what 35 Burgundy has become rather than to look back at where it started. “It’s a vibe,” he says. “That’s probably the best way to describe what we’ve built, and what we continue to build.”

That feeling is what guides the work, and why the brand chooses not to follow the traditional seasonal calendar of summer and winter collections. “We follow our inspiration and let enthusiasm lead us towards a new piece that we feel belongs within the 35 Burgundy world,” Abbas says. He describes synergy as one of the brand’s core values and believes that by staying true to its vision, 35 Burgundy continues to grow into itself, with its identity becoming more distinct along the way.

As the brand enters its second decade, its direction remains grounded in the creative independence that inspired its beginnings, and the next chapter will be given over to exploring its own identity further and developing new designs as they arrive. The philosophy that started it all remains unchanged, which is to follow inspiration and ignore the trends.

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Images: Supplied