Quick answer: Featured Brands at Tashkeel are independent design brands, mostly from the UAE and the wider region, whose products share Tashkeel's values: a real cultural story, considered craftsmanship and everyday usefulness. Stocking them gives small studios a place to be discovered beside artists and designers from the Tashkeel community, and gives shoppers a curated alternative to mass-produced souvenirs. Browse them in Featured Brands.
The problem Featured Brands solves
Many design products in the UAE are made by small studios: one founder, a workshop, an Instagram page. They often struggle to reach shoppers who would love them, while visitors looking for something "from here" end up with generic souvenirs. A curated shop sitting inside an art and design organisation can bridge that gap. It lends independent brands a context, and it gives buyers a filter they can trust.
What makes a product worth featuring?
- A story rooted in the region. The product should carry a genuine idea: an object, ritual, saying or landscape from Arab or Emirati life.
- Thoughtful craft. Materials and making should be considered, whether it is handwoven leather, soy wax or teak.
- Everyday use. Objects should be lived with, not only displayed.
- Originality. Designs should be the brand's own, not copies of global trends.
- A fit with the wider collection. Each brand should add something the shop does not already offer.
The ideas behind the brands
Rather than a list of logos, here are the ideas the Featured Brands bring to the shop:
- Humour as heritage: Arabic idioms, office jokes and national birds turned into desk signs, cards and stickers by Waggish. Read Funny in Arabic.
- The mandoos reborn: the Emirati treasure chest reimagined as handbags by Kahraman Design. Read From Mandoos Chest to Handbag.
- The weave: handwoven herringbone leather for travel by Mantidy. Read why the weave matters.
- Hosting with the senses: oud, saffron and rose candles and heritage-stitched linen by Curate Home, and incense-inspired candles by Tohfa Luxe. Read Scent, Linen and Light.
- Cities on canvas: UAE landmarks on waterproof bags, notebooks and bookmarks by Ekleel.
- Paintings you carry: artworks printed onto scarves by Debjani Bhardwaj.
How to recognise genuine homegrown design
- Ask where and how it was made. Good brands are happy to tell you.
- Look for a named designer or studio, not an anonymous label.
- Check the story is specific. "Inspired by the mandoos chest" is better than "inspired by Arabia".
- Notice the materials. Leather, wood, linen and ceramic usually signal care.
- Read the details. Sizes, care instructions and origin on the product page show a brand that takes its work seriously.
Why it matters
Every purchase from an independent brand supports a designer's next idea. Seen together, these brands show that the UAE's design scene is not only about landmark buildings, but about everyday objects made with wit, care and memory.
Frequently asked questions
What are Featured Brands at Tashkeel?
Independent design brands, mostly from the UAE and the region, curated and stocked alongside work by Tashkeel's artists and designers.
Are all Featured Brands from the UAE?
Many are UAE-based; others are regional or have a strong connection to Arab culture. Check each brand's products for origin.
Can a brand apply to be featured?
Brands interested in being stocked can contact the team at tashkeel@tashkeel.org or +971 4 336 3313.
Prices and availability change, so check the product page for the latest.
