At the age of around seven my dad bought me a Barbie. As a child of nineties in a post-soviet country to own a toy from a ‘foreign’ world was something extraordinary.  

I can’t remember what she was wearing but it was something pink, glamorous and sparkly. One day I realised she is wearing her tight outfit all day long and she must be tired and wanting to change into a comfortable bath robe. But I did not have a bath robe and there was little chance I’d be able to buy one, too. So I decided to make her a bath robe from my mum’s bath robe. 

I carefully cut out a pocket from mommy’s brand new robe, turned it upside down, trimmed the bottom seam to make a belt and cut two tiny holes for the Barbie’s arms. I was one jolly happy child whose artful creation looked the most glamorous on her Barbie doll...I

Until mum returned home, of course, to find her left pocket missing and me stretching my mouth from ear to ear in blissful ignorance of the upcoming disaster.

That’s how I made my first dress...I 

Years have passed and here I am sketching and drawing and selecting fabrics for the upcoming season to bring you the best of my fashion ideas. I began playing dress up at the age of seven and I never truly want it to end... 

Follow my journey of the Zalinah White independent womenswear brand brought to you by an immigrant from the sunny Turkmen dessert. Nurtured for years and perfected in London.

Yours,

Zalina M