Tamashee is a luxury lifestyle brand that was founded by me and Mohammed Kazim in 2013. The idea behind the label is to showcase our values to the world through a platform that preserves our identity, represents our culture, and colours lives by leaving a positive impact on people.

Among the brand’s offerings are men and women’s footwear, leather cardholders, laptop and tablet sleeves, notebooks, toiletry and tote bags, Arabic coffee cups, and scents. The word ‘tamashee’ is a combination of the Arabic words ‘mashee’ (to walk) and ‘yatamasha’ (compatible), referencing the label’s shoes and how they establish a common thread between the past, present and future.

At Tamashee, we offer a well-rounded cultural experience through three work streams that are attuned to our vision of supporting local communities. The first is Tamashee Soul, for which we visit rural areas to conduct research and ask tribes and families to share their stories. We impart this knowledge to a wider audience through workshops, talks, consultation, and corporate gifting.

Over the last 10 years, we’ve been involved in curatorial activities and organising events for creatives in the Gulf region, including painters, sculptors, graffiti artists, photographers, and musicians. We’ve hosted exhibitions at The Dubai Mall, Saudi Design Festival in Riyadh, Dubai’s Sikka Art Festival, and the Boulevard in Jeddah.

We also create documentaries that serve as an educational guide on various regional cultures, and lead CSR groups to support their efforts in the tribal areas that they operate in by establishing a liaison between them and the local families that are affiliated with Tamashee.

Then, there are Tamashee Products, which are crafted to perfection after extensive research that focuses on local materials, regional crafts and the stories that they convey. We implement what we learn and incorporate local iconography into our designs. By owning one of our products, you play a key role in keeping our culture alive. The third is Tamashee Experience, which aims at creating a connection between regional tribes, families and cultural enthusiasts. As licensed tour guides in Dubai and being associated with those based across the Arabian Peninsula, we create trips to visit locations with an emphasis on aspects that the brand has researched and documented.

We give back to the locals by creating a sustainable annual income for them—the amount generated from the cultural trips we organise goes directly to the regional communities. So far, we’ve organised visits to multiple locations and continue to do so annually. We primarily host seven key trips every year to AlUla, Taif during rose season, Al Jawf and Asir provinces, Northern Najd, Oman, and the Shuhooh tribe of Ru’us AlJibal in the UAE. We also plan private trips for families, friends and other entities.

Through its work, Tamashee continues to create a soulful narrative that contributes to advancing the Arabian Peninsula’s identity in a contemporary way. Why don’t you join us on this journey?

Visit Tamashee.com and follow @Tamashee on Instagram.

Images courtesy of Tamashee.
This article was originally published in Villa 88’s Summer 2023 edition. Subscribe here.