The Rise of Shouq and Fahad’s Marzook Brand
- Yaseen Dockrat
Ten years ago, Kuwaiti Siblings Shouq and Fahad Al Marzook began crafting luxurious bags that soon caught the eye of many A-list celebrities. Inspired by art and architecture, the cross-function bags, which you either wear outside or use as an ornamental piece inside your home, are crafted from high-quality materials and designed to showcase each wearer’s individuality.
Using their third culture outlook, having been raised between Europe, the US, and Kuwait, the pair have produced some sumptuous designs that have stolen the hearts of Amal Clooney, Beyonce, Kylie Jenner and Ariana Grande. But creating timeless designs goes beyond just a design aesthetic; it’s a passion shared by Shouq and Fahad Al Marzook. “It took a lot of time and effort to figure out our DNA initially,” Fahad says. “We found that our aesthetic is a timeless luxury, a piece that can be passed down from generation to generation. All our designs consider this: we don’t design fads; we design wearable art; if it’s not in your closet, it’s definitely in your living room or library”. Each season, the pair dream up a wearable piece of art, and thus far, each of their creations has flown off shelves across the world. “Marzook bags and accessories are always ahead of the game, from the first Classic orb. We manage to create a new shape every season that has won the hearts of supporters of the brand,” Shouq explains.
Photo provided by Marzook
While the brand is still young – only in its tenth year – it has garnered a massive following from A-list celebrities worldwide for its groundbreaking designs. The design process features Shouq and Fahad, one for the design inception and the other to build the story behind it. “Fahad is the creative director and honestly has a gift for designing. After years of working together, seeing him develop new designs season after season is truly baffling. His inspiration comes from anywhere, even daily life’s most ordinary objects or moments. The design process often begins with this spark of inspiration, which Fahad then explores, refines, and comes to us (his team) to transform into something new and innovative. It’s fascinating how something as simple as an everyday object can lead to the creation of complex and beautiful designs,” Shouq explains. “From there, I create the story behind his vision and the design’s message. The message to our clients is that she’s smart, savvy and sophisticated and wants to be blown away by the brand’s vision and design.”
Since its inception, art and design have played an essential part in the brand, running deep into its DNA and giving Marzook its timeless aesthetic. “Art and fashion often intersect in numerous ways, including finding inspiration from art forms, such as painting, sculpture, and architecture. Over the years, we have collaborated with several artists, such as Nugamshi, architect Neda Debs, and several other disrupters in our region, to create wearable pieces that blur the lines between art and clothing. We consider our designs an art form, expressing their creativity through different materials, colour, and silhouette, much like painters do on canvas.”
Photo provided by Marzook
Marzook is known for designs that often challenge conventional norms and push boundaries. When Marzook launched its Lucid Orb bag in 2012, the fashion world noticed. The bag was a hit, and the following year, designers across the globe began incorporating Orb-like shapes into their accessory collections, reaffirming that Marzook is a brand for trendsetters. The pair keep the brand ahead of the curve by dreaming up designs that serve as a medium for individual expression. “The Marzook bag is designed for the woman who has nothing to prove to anyone. It’s designed for women who value authenticity and independence over conforming to societal expectations or trends. By opting for this bag, they express their confidence and willingness to chart their path, free from the need to prove anything to others.”
For the Spring Summer 2024 season, Marzook launched its Qalb collection. Qalb is the Arabic word for heart, and the collection is a personal love letter to all who have supported the brand over its first decade. “Qalb is a very special collection; it is a love letter expressing the power of love, adoration, and positivity. Season after season, Marzook’s campaigns send a strong message, and this season isn’t any different; the message is LOVE, a meaningful emotion with all its complexity,” Shouq explains. In lavender, yellow, and pink hues, the collection takes shape in 7 statement bags clad in mother of pearl and Swazovski’s.
Photo provided by Marzook
While it may have just launched its latest collection, Qalb, the brother-sister pair, shows no signs of stopping. As has become customary with brands worldwide, Marzook also intends to launch a Ramadan 2024 collection, a bespoke line and ready-to-wear collection filled with vibrant colours, luxurious textures and figure-shaping silhouettes. “Our Ramadan 2024 collection launches this week, which we are very excited about as it is designed and produced in Kuwait for the first time. We have an exciting collaboration with another brand from a different and foreign region that will be launched this year.”
But Shouq and Fahad’s plans for the future don’t only include clothing and bags. While bags are the brand’s bread and butter, the pair intend to expand into F&B by launching The Marzook Kitchen, which has been in the works for the last two years. “For the first time after two years of hard work, we launch TMK right before Ramadan. It’s a blend of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. I call it “Medi” because there is no word for it,” Shouq tells us. “It’s just taking my grandmothers and my mother’s recipes and modernising them. This venture into food and beverage is very different and intimidating, but ultimately, that’s what gets our creative juices flowing”.
Photo provided by Marzook
While their design process is usually internal, the pair look forward to collaborating with regional artists and disruptors. “The synergy we look for in these collaborations is always fresh, new and exciting. We have to feel a connection with someone to work with them; otherwise, it won’t work. There needs to be a natural flow of ideas and like-minded vision. The Middle East has the most creative visionaries in the world, and we are lucky to have worked with a few. We hope to work with more in the future. We truly believe the future of fashion is the visionaries of the Middle East.”
For now, though, both Shouq and Fahad Al Marzook are revelling in the 10th anniversary of the brand, marked by the Qalb collection, while still working tirelessly to push even more boundaries in the future. “Many special moments led to this milestone that we are at today,” Shouq smiles proudly. “From feeling like we were not good enough, our designs, our code, our whole brand might have been lacking to realising today that what we were doing back then without any blueprint, of course, was just being ourselves and staying true to our message. That made us stand out, make a mark, and still be here today, and will continue to in the future.”