By Hyacinth Mascarenhas
Back in 2009, Bahraini Wafa Al Obaidat was looking for something in the design market that she simply couldn’t find anywhere – a publication rich in illustrations and drawings where her favorite designers and bloggers could be explored.
Constantly in search of raw, scratchy magazines that resembled her own design sketchbooks, complete with wear, tear and haphazard yellow post-its, the 22-year-old entrepreneur decided to create her own illustration magazine, Sketchbook Magazine, to give readers a “behind the scenes view” of the usually glossy, put-together fashion industry.
One of the fastest growing digital magazines in Europe, Sketchbook Magazine went on to become an overnight success. The Sketchbook pop-up shop, a creative space for young, emerging artists to meet and collaborate, was also a major success.
Al Obaidat, who grew up and studied in Bahrain, studied interior design at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London before worked with designer Liza Bruce and her husband, interior designer and artist, Nicholas Bruce. Mentored by the design duo, Al Obaidat learned all aspects of the fashion business and design industry from sales and pricing to PR and window displays.
She is currently the founder and creative director of Obai & Hill, a PR and design agency in Bahrain that aims to “become pioneers of creative design and consulting services in the GCC and Middle East” with the belief that there is a creative solution for everything. We had a chance to speak with the young entrepreneur about her passion for fashion and creating change creatively in the Middle East.
Elan: Tell us a little bit about your background and what inspired you to enter the fashion business.
WA: I grew up and studied in Bahrain and went on to study Interior Design at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. I worked for 2 years while I was a student with designer Liza Bruce which literally changed my life. I applied to work with almost 100 designers – they were the first company I called – and they booked me for an interview.
Working with Liza Bruce was phenomenal. I got to learn the ins and outs of running a fashion business in London – from sales to PR to buying to window display to designing. Liza and her husband really mentored me and taught me everything I needed to know about the fashion and art industry.
After I graduated, I worked with on/off and Marko Matysik of Big/Show Magazine and Vogue Nippon and later on, with two more fashion magazines. I started writing for my blog, Fashion Ambitions, and became a fashion journalist reporting for High Life Dubai, Borderline and Prim Magazine in NY. I then became the editor of Dia Magazine, the number one e-luxury site in the Middle East.
Elan: In 2009, you created Sketchbook Magazine, the fastest growing digital illustration magazine in Europe. What inspired you to create and launch the publication?
WA: I was constantly looking for raw scratchy magazines that resembled my own sketchbooks and notebooks. Something not so glossy and which I could be rough with, so I went about creating the concept of Sketchbook.
The name comes from my love for sketchbooks. Sketchbook aims to be a different notebook every time. I want my reader to be surprised by each issue and to have a favorite ‘sketchbook’ or issue. But what it is trying to do is reveal the “behind the scenes” of the industry.
Elan: Tell me a little about your own agency, Obai & Hill. Where does the name Obai & Hill come from?
WA: Obai & Hill is a PR and Design agency, made up of young emerging creatives in the design, PR and marketing fields based in Bahrain. The agency first came to life in 2010 after I felt that my creative consulting services were in high demand in the UK and my online publication, Sketchbook Magazine, became an overnight success.
The agency’s namesake is attributed to the beginning of my last name as well as the place of its inception – Notting Hill. We have has since relocated to Bahrain to meet the needs of our GCC client base, and we continue to offer bespoke services and creative solutions – with a twist.
Elan: What were some of the biggest challenges that you faced with your move back to Bahrain?
WA: I started my Bahrain operations with a senior designer, an accountant, and an account manager, hiring them organically and one at a time as I secured new projects. Today, my team consists of nine 20-something women and one man. We see ourselves as creative problem-solvers driven by elevating their clients’ brands.
One barrier I has faced was access to capital — despite Obai & Hill’s high growth figures (233% in its second year, and 70% the following year). I attempted to close two investment deals but I had to drop out due to the lack of professionalism from my potential partners.
We still need to educate investors on how to invest in startups, and for startups to learn how to deal with investors. I think there is a massive gap in the educational process in that sense.
Elan: Were there any entrepreneurial challenges that you had to face in Bahrain that didn’t necessarily strike you in London?
WA: It took me one whole year to get familiar with the organizations, the business culture, how things worked, and who’s who. It taught me that if I were to expand to another city or country, I would need time to really understand the market.
Other culture shocks included commercial registration barriers, office space requirements, and high capital prerequisites. In London, I could work from my studio apartment and not have to deal with registrations or fees to start up — all I needed was some space and a laptop comparing my U.K. experience with Bahrain.
I was also devastated to discover that if I wanted to publish a magazine in Bahrain, I needed to show the Ministry of Commerce BD 50,000 (more than $132,000 USD) in my account and have five Bahraini partners. Unfortunately some of our laws are outdated and hinder productivity and innovation, as many Bahrain-based entrepreneurs have noted.
Elan: What sets Obai & Hill apart from other creative design and marketing agencies in the region?
WA: We are an agency run by creatives in their 20s, we want to do great work, and we want to serve our clients as well as work in a collaborative and fun environment.
We also strive to collaborate and work with as many young innovative local talents as possible in an effort to highlight the region as the thriving hotspot for arts, culture and creativity that it is. We go the extra mile for our clients and really treasure our working relationships.
Elan: What are your thoughts on the fashion and creative marketing industry in the Middle East. Is there anything that you seek to change or improve?
WA: This is the right time to be in the Middle East and especially in this region. Generous funds are being poured into the design, culture, and fashion fields in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Events such as Art Dubai, film festivals in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Fashion Forward in Dubai, and Jeddah Art Week and Nuqat are bringing like-minded people together to collaborate and discuss trends in our fields.
Projects such as Design District or D3 is inspiring international houses and brands and local brands to coexist and work under the same roof, to share resources and band together to represent our industry.
Elan: Tell us about Malja, the first creative community and open collaborative studio in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Why do you think such a space is necessary in the MENA region?
WA: Never has the Middle East needed a creative shelter more than it has today. Enter the concept of Malja, which I founded in 2009, that planned to be the first creative community and open collaborative studio in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Malja, the Arabic word for “refuge”, planned to become an open space for creative individuals from a diverse selection of artistic fields. Founded by myself and graphic designer Bader Kamal, I wanted it to be a place where all brilliant young minds came together to cultivate and hone their various talents. The aim is to become “the place to exchange ideas and convert the basic human interactions into the island’s most creative ideas.”
The way it would’ve worked is that the center will host 50 artists every 3 to 6 months; each artist receives a work station for the duration of their specified period. During that time, they will be able to work on and produce their artwork. By doing this, artists of all type will be given space to work in, and the chance to network with artists and creative types from different areas. The allocated time period allows the center to host as many artists as they can, in order to give every participant an equal chance.
The project was announced formally to the public on March 31st, 2011, where Malja to an audience of artists and press representatives. The center, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, and supported by its Minister, Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, was discussed at length by artists attending the launch, who shared ideas on everything from developing Malja to supporting the Bahraini art community.
Unfortunately the project was put on hold in 2011 but am still resuming to take it forward in the form of an Entrepreneural Hub and alongside private investors.
Elan: Tell us a little bit about your most successful creative projects in the region and the inspiration behind them.
WA: I never had any doubt that Sketchbook wouldn’t be a breakthrough. You see I have to be strong for my brand and believe in it 100% or else no one else will. But recently my biggest moment was having Imran Amed founder of the Business of Fashion, someone I really look up to in the industry, telling me that Sketchbook is doing something right, that I was on to something, and that it was doing really well because people in the industry were buzzing about it. It also felt great to sell our 1000th print copy.
Sketchbook is probably my most successful non for profit idea to date that great recognition. The idea for Sketchbook was born out of my desire to build a platform to support emerging artists and designers. Initially focused on the U.K. but later expanding to the Arab world, Sketchbook is an online magazine that looks like it was printed in actual sketchbooks, showcasing underground fashion, art, illustration, photography, and design.
With neither funding nor advertising, I was armed only with my passion for design and persuasive charm. It was terribly difficult at first.
When I started to meet people to get them involved and they saw that I was 22 years old, they just ran the other way. I really had to sell the concept of the magazine via email so I spent a good 5-6 hours a day emailing illustrators, designers, and writers to get them to contribute their work to the magazine.
At the end of the day I was filling a gap by providing a haven for creative expression for young designers. I trusted many juniors with big responsibilities and shared space on our platform for them to write, design, and review events, projects, and exhibitions.
Elan: What advice would you like to convey to our readers about the work that you do or the motivation that allowed you to forge your own path.
WA: Don’t start listing why you can’t do something, that is the easiest thing a person can do. We are raised in a culture of fear – and people are always ready to tell you that your ideas are not realistic, but I think you need to be unrealistic to pursue what you want.
If you have no passion for anything start exploring – path find, don’t just be stuck in a rut, nothing will ever come to you, you must go and find what makes you happy and make it your career. Have the best life you can have – don’t settle.
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