By Bhavna Batra
Fatma Al Bannai, the visionary behind Baguette Design, approaches jewelry with an artist’s sensibility and a storyteller’s heart. Born and raised in the UAE, Fatma has always been captivated by the sentimental power of jewelry—the way a single piece can hold and express deeply personal stories. This passion, combined with her love for crafting narratives, led her to create Baguette Design, a luxury jewelry brand that fuses elegance, strength, and meaning into every creation.
Jewelry, for Fatma, has never been just an accessory. From a young age, she was fascinated by how a woman’s collection of jewelry holds a deeply personal connection—each piece representing milestones, memories, and family traditions. “Each piece of jewelry tells a different story for its owner that is uniquely theirs,” she says. This understanding of jewelry as a vessel for storytelling laid the foundation for Baguette Design, which, today, offers pieces that blend luxury with intimate meaning.
A Name That Tells a Story
The name “Baguette Design” is no coincidence. Fatma chose the Baguette cut as the signature of her brand for its symbolism and underrated beauty. This distinctive diamond cut, first popularized in the 1920s and 1930s, represents the strength, individuality, and elegance that Fatma envisions for the women who wear her pieces. “The Baguette cut is unique, strong, and often overlooked,” she explains. Much like the women she designs for, the Baguette cut stands apart with its sharp lines and understated beauty.
Baguette Design aims to create strong, confident pieces that highlight a woman’s femininity while allowing her to stand out. It is a delicate balance that Fatma carefully maintains by combining bold design elements with timeless elegance, ensuring that her creations are wearable in both everyday life and luxury settings.
The Art of Storytelling Through Jewelry
Fatma’s background as a writer deeply influences her design process. Each collection begins with a story—a narrative that shapes the direction of the design and imbues it with layers of meaning. Inspired by her love of fantasy and fictional worlds, Fatma envisions her jewelry pieces as part of a larger narrative, where each collection is a chapter that can intertwine with others to form a rich, interconnected story. “I’ve always been in love with how characters in fiction express their motivations and showcase plots through what they wear,” she reflects. Her creations are not just beautiful; they are expressions of inner strength, individuality, and the stories that each woman carries.
Balancing Luxury and Wearability
One of the hallmarks of Baguette Design is its ability to blend luxury with everyday wearability. Fatma believes that jewelry should be a part of a woman’s life, seamlessly integrated into her wardrobe while maintaining its high standards of quality and craftsmanship. Achieving this balance, however, comes with challenges. “The hardest part is creating pieces that can be worn every day while ensuring the quality of the raw materials is never compromised,” she admits.
Baguette Design pieces are meticulously crafted by hand, with each stone and metal carefully selected for its durability and beauty. Fatma strives to maintain the highest standards without inflating costs, ensuring that her designs remain accessible yet luxurious.
Embracing Heritage and Tradition
As an Emirati designer, Fatma takes pride in weaving elements of her cultural heritage into her brand’s identity. One of her most notable achievements has been her ability to put her own mark on traditional Emirati jewelry. This is best exemplified by her Heritage Collection, which features a modernized interpretation of the “Bu Shoush,” a staple design in Emirati jewelry. “I wanted to create something that honors the traditional designs while giving them a modern twist,” Fatma explains. The success of this collection represents a significant milestone in her career and highlights her commitment to preserving and reinterpreting her heritage for a contemporary audience.
Overcoming Challenges as a Self-Taught Designer
Fatma’s journey with Baguette Design was not without its hurdles. Unlike many in her field, she did not come from a background in design or business. “I started the brand without being a design major or even a business major, so I lacked the technical skills,” she admits. Despite these obstacles, Fatma’s drive and passion pushed her to overcome the learning curve. As a one-woman operation, she took on multiple roles—designer, business owner, marketer—learning the ropes of entrepreneurship as she went along. Her family’s encouragement and her love for storytelling and jewelry fueled her ambition, allowing her to persevere through moments of doubt.
A Personal Connection With Her Creations
For Fatma, jewelry is more than just a business; it is a deeply personal form of expression. “The ability to blend the world of creative writing into something that can be worn by women all around the world is a feeling that cannot be explained,” she says. Seeing her designs worn by others fills her with a sense of pride and fulfillment, knowing that each piece will carry its own unique story for the wearer.
Beyond her professional success, Fatma also finds joy in showing her children what can be achieved through hard work and determination. Balancing her roles as a mother, a full-time professional, and a business owner, she hopes to instill in them the belief that there are no boundaries to what one can achieve.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Fatma has ambitious goals for Baguette Design. She envisions her brand becoming a globally recognized name in the luxury jewelry industry, a goal she is steadily working towards. Her designs, deeply rooted in her heritage yet crafted for a modern audience, have already begun to attract international attention. She hopes to continue expanding her brand’s influence while staying true to the values that have defined her journey thus far: storytelling, strength, and individuality.
A Message to Aspiring Designers
To young girls and aspiring entrepreneurs, Fatma offers simple yet powerful advice: “Take the plunge and don’t be afraid to lose or be unsuccessful.” She knows firsthand the challenges that come with building a brand from the ground up, but she believes that every setback offers valuable lessons. Her journey proves that with passion, persistence, and a unique vision, anything is possible.
Through Baguette Design, Fatma Al Bannai continues to inspire, crafting not only beautiful jewelry but also stories of resilience, creativity, and empowerment for women everywhere.
What is your reaction?
