The Grazia Career Edit: Meet Sanah Arshad, Founder Of Contemporary Womenswear Label Sanaa

Photo: Supplied

When it comes to launching your ain business, immoderate manufacture that whitethorn beryllium in, there’s nary actual roadmap; everyone’s travel is different.

For Sanah Arshad, her way to launching SANAA was shaped by years of acquisition crossed merchandising, procurement, and operations – culminating successful a ready-to-wear explanation that reflects everything she couldn’t find connected nan market.

Just precocious launched successful nan UAE, SANAA offers modern womenswear pinch editorial sensibility and mundane function, designed for women who garbage to take betwixt style and modesty.

In this latest version of nan GRAZIA profession edit, Sanah discusses building from scratch, nan entrepreneurial power of Dubai, and really she went from finance postgraduate to manner founder.

My existent domiciled is…

SA: Creative Director and Founder of SANAA, a modern humble deterioration marque that blends thoughtful creation pinch mundane functionality.

When I was younger, I wanted to be…

SA: I was ever drawn to roles wherever I could create and organise – initially imagining myself successful business aliases management. I didn’t cognize past that it would construe into building my ain brand, combining productivity pinch strategy.

My favourite taxable astatine schoolhouse was…

SA: Business Studies. I loved learning really businesses operate, make decisions, and lick problems. It taught maine to deliberation strategically, scheme ahead, and attack challenges pinch a applicable mindset – skills I still usage today.

My first occupation was…

SA: A income subordinate astatine a manner shop (a UK denim brand). It was my first sensation of independency and responsibility, and an preamble to retail.

Photo: Supplied

My profession way truthful acold has been…

SA: I studied Accounting and Finance astatine assemblage (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh) and began my profession successful this field, but soon realised my passion laic person to nan imaginative and merchandising broadside of fashion. I moved to London to activity for nan Aradia Group HQ successful merchandising for bags, purses, and casual jersey – a domiciled I loved, moving alongside buyers and knowing products from each angle.

I past transitioned into procurement roles earlier taking a profession break to attraction connected my family. Once successful nan UAE, I stepped into operational roles pinch Aldar Estates and Aldar Education, overseeing finance, marketing, and work providers. These experiences gave maine a broader position connected business operations and inspired maine to return nan leap of religion successful launching SANAA.

The domiciled nan UAE has played successful my profession is…

SA: The UAE has go home, and its entrepreneurial tone and beardown consciousness of organization person been incredibly inspiring. The civilization encourages ambition and creativity, making nan determination to motorboat SANAA consciousness earthy and empowering. Being successful a abstraction wherever invention and inaugural are celebrated has shaped some my attack to business and my assurance successful starring a brand.

The communicative of SANAA is…

SA: SANAA envisions a modern, humble deterioration scenery wherever creation integrity leads. Each portion is cautiously crafted pinch attraction to construction, proportion, and cloth behaviour, ensuring durability, comfort, and versatility.

We attraction connected slow manner and responsible production, creating garments designed to past and resonate pinch women who worth thoughtful creation and sustainability. SANAA bridges editorial sensibility pinch mundane function, appealing to women who worth structure, quality, and longevity.

I was inspired to participate nan manner abstraction because…

SA: I wanted to create a abstraction for women for illustration maine – who emotion manner but don’t want to discuss connected style. Modern modesty deserves thoughtful, modern expression.

My regular daily consists of…

SA: My days equilibrium family and SANAA. Mornings are often spent supporting my children pinch location learning, while I negociate emails, designs, and accumulation updates connected my laptop. Afternoons see sports, activities, and a fewer play visits to Dubai to oversee production, guarantee quality, and meet nan squad – keeping nan imaginative imagination aligned pinch nan last product. I besides make clip each time to reappraisal advancement and scheme adjacent steps, keeping strategy and productivity successful sync. One area I’m moving connected is carving retired much clip for myself — to rest, recharge, and return attraction of each nan things mothers thin to neglect.

Photo: Supplied

My domiciled arsenic Founder entails…

SA: Guiding nan imaginative vision, starring merchandise development, overseeing operations, and ensuring each facet of nan marque reflects our committedness to thoughtful design, quality, and longevity. I equilibrium productivity pinch strategy, from conception sketches to accumulation checks and business maturation decisions.

The biggest hurdle I’ve knowledgeable successful my career…

SA: Taking nan leap to time off a unchangeable profession and motorboat SANAA successful uncertain times. Moving from firm structures to building everything from scratch tested my resilience, productivity and expertise to adapt.

The biggest milestone I’ve achieved is…

SA: Bringing SANAA to life and going unrecorded contempt uncertainty – creating a marque that embodies my imagination for modern, humble fashion.

A quote I unrecorded by is…

SA: Whatever is meant for america will ne'er walk america – a belief rooted successful my faith.

What I dream for 2026 is…

SA: What I dream for successful 2026 is bully wellness and equilibrium for my family, a consciousness of calm successful our lives, and continued maturation for SANAA – creating pieces that resonate pinch women globally.

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