While the typical fashion brands begin their creative process with a moodboard of ephemeral trends, Inanna Reborn was built on the diligent foundation of academic research.
For Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, founder of Inanna Reborn, the brand is a material extension of her scholarly work into the forgotten lineages of Arabian queens. This project aimed at putting the spotlight on ancestral sovereignty through a cinematic, narrative-driven approach to design.
With the passion of serving as a guardian of culture, Sharjah’s Her Highness Sheikha Bodour draws on the philosophy that culture is foundational rather than ornamental, the collection bypasses transient aesthetics to create what she terms “future archives.” These pieces function as modern armour, translated into a tangible language of soft power and identity. It is a preservation of craft as much as a statement of intent.
Below, Her Highness Sheikha Bodour discusses with Emirates Woman her commitment to heritage and the inspiration behind her debut fashion label, Inanna Reborn.
You’ve spent years supporting culture through publishing and policy. What was the catalyst moment that made you decide to create something of your own?
Inanna Reborn began with a book. While researching and writing Let Them Know She Is Here, something became persistently clear: the legacy I was uncovering deserved to be documented for future generations, but it also deserved to be felt in the present. These queens, their sovereignty, their strength, belonged not only to history. They belonged to every woman alive today.
During my research into Mleiha and the broader history of our region, I encountered clear traces of female leadership, including magnificent queens such as Zenobia, Bilqis, Mavia, and Abi’el. These were women who ruled, negotiated and shaped civilisations. Yet their voices and stories were not carried forward with the same continuity as others. I could not reconcile that silence. These were not distant, mythical figures. They were my ancestors.
Inanna Reborn grew naturally from that realisation. If these women shaped civilisations, their legacy deserved to be carried forward in a way that could be seen, worn, and felt, not only read. It is my way of ensuring that what was passed down through generations does not disappear in ours.
There is a strong sense of storytelling that you take across the creative process of all that you do, from books to Bait Elowal, and now Inanna Reborn. Why is this important to you?
Growing up in Sharjah, I was shaped by an environment where culture and storytelling were integral to our being. This is entirely due to the vision of my father, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. He dedicated his life to building spaces in Sharjah where cultures can meet and dialogue can flourish, always placing the human being at the centre of his vision. He taught me that culture is not ornamental; it is foundational to everything we do.
So, whether it is publishing a book, restoring a century-old home like Bait Elowal, or designing a garment, the core intention is the same: to create a bridge between the past and the present. Without storytelling, a dress is just fabric, and a building is just stone. Infused with narrative, they become carriers of memory. Storytelling is how we remember who we are and how we pass that on.
Inanna Reborn is described as “mythic luxury”. What does that mean in practice for someone seeing or wearing the clothes?
The global luxury market has long celebrated aesthetics, but we wanted to offer something far more profound: identity, ancestry and inner awakening. “Mythic luxury” means that fashion becomes more than mere adornment; it becomes memory, ritual, and transformation.
In practice, this means every piece is designed to be worn with intention. A garment is approached as armour that carries confidence, a piece of jewellery as a talisman that holds memory, a scent as something that anchors presence… When a woman wears Inanna Reborn, she is not simply getting dressed. She is making a conscious choice about how she moves through the world… Our garments are designed as modern regalia—simultaneously powerful and sensual—where structure meets movement and softness meets strength. It is luxury that is lived rather than simply consumed.
There’s a strong personal layer to this, especially with the “Dragon Queen” idea. Tell us more about this – how much of the brand is about your own identity?
The brand is deeply rooted in my intellectual and cultural journey, but it isn’t about me as an individual; it is about a shared lineage. I refer to the “Dragon Queen” because the dragon represents ancient wisdom; knowledge humanity has forgotten, yet still carries within. It embodies the enduring spirit of ancient cultures. I see my role as a guardian of that wisdom, a keeper of what was, what is, and what must not be lost.
Inanna Reborn is an extension of that identity, an act of preservation and remembrance. It is rooted in a belief that this lineage, this memory of female sovereignty, does not belong to history alone. It lives in every woman, carried forward across generations. The brand is ultimately an invitation to return to that knowledge… That is the singular truth at the heart of Inanna Reborn: women are not discovering their power, they are remembering it.
Who is the woman you imagined wearing Inanna Reborn?
I imagined a woman who embodies sovereignty; a woman who leads with presence, identity, and intention. She is culturally aware, globally minded, and drawn to luxury that carries depth and meaning. For her, fashion is not decoration, but a form of self-expression and ritual.
She is someone who feels the pull of both authority and introspection, who carries her history with her and moves through the world with quiet confidence. But crucially, we designed this collection to be universally empowering. It is not limited by geography, nationality, or physical attributes. She is any woman, anywhere, who is ready to remember her power and wear her history with pride.
What piece from this collection is your favourite and are you most proud of? Is there one piece in the collection that reflects your personality?
It is difficult to choose just one, as each piece is part of something larger, but I am incredibly proud of our first jewellery collection, Abi’el — The Desert Oath. It emerges from an ancient, grounding force that speaks of origin, land, and belonging. It draws from the spirit of traditional Emirati adornment, where jewellery was never separate from identity, protection, or survival.
If there is one element that reflects my personality, it is the motif of the coin used throughout the Abi’el collection. The coins echo the idea of carried wealth, of stories passed through hands, of value that is both material and symbolic. We crafted the collection entirely in silver, the metal of everyday sovereignty for nomadic Bedouin women. Silver ages with the wearer; it absorbs time, touch, and environment, developing a patina that reflects lived experience. No two pieces remain the same. In this way, the jewellery becomes an extension of the woman herself—evolving, marking, remembering.
Since you launched, how has it been received so far?
The reception has been moving. Women are connecting with the idea that what they wear can carry meaning beyond aesthetics, and that heritage is not something to look back at only, but something to carry forward.
Women are responding to the idea that sustainability is not a limitation; it is a discipline of beauty. They are engaging with the stories of Zenobia, Sheba, and Mavia, and they understand that to preserve a craft is to preserve a way of seeing the world. That response affirms something important: that this is the right cultural moment for Inanna Reborn, and that women were ready for it long before it arrived.
You built everything yourself from the outset. What did this teach you?
Building Inanna Reborn from the ground up reinforced the lessons my parents instilled in me. Watching my father, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, dedicate his life to building a society where education, culture, and opportunity empower individuals to thrive has shaped my understanding of leadership and cultural responsibility.
This journey taught me patience and the importance of slowing down to create with intention. Working directly with artisans to preserve ancient crafts and insisting on a slow, ethical model of sustainability where nothing is rushed and nothing is made without purpose, requires immense discipline.
It taught me that when you create consciously, you do not just make a product. You honour the earth, you support communities, and you give women something that connects them to who they are That, more than anything, is what I hope Inanna Reborn leaves behind.
Scroll through the gallery below for the standout looks from the show:
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Images: Supplied
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: emirateswoman.com
