Also a big supporter of ethical manufacturing, every item in the collection is produced right here in the UAE and only in limited numbers to reduce wastage.
We caught up with Founder and Managing Director, Hanne Ripsaluoma; who is currently dividing her time between Dubai, Finland, Spain and Chile, as travelling and exploring is one of her passions. “I always get inspired in new places, whether it’s a city, beach or a restaurant that I have never been to before” she explains.
What is the key direction for your SS18 collection
We wanted to continue with the floaty, boho styles that are perfect also for the summer whether you are in Dubai, Ibiza, Bali or the Hamptons. The latest dresses are made of cotton and chiffon, which are comfortable in the summer temperatures. They are casual yet chic, with our usual breezy twist.
What/where/who are your designs influenced by?
As a brand, it was heavily influenced by the love I have for Dubai and its beaches and the surrounding desert, those continue to be the main inspiration for the designs too. We also want to create clothes that give you that lovely “holiday feeling”, bringing back memories from vacations. We always use bright coloured prints in our range because that’s what we are drawn to in the lovely, constant sunshine that we live in.
Who’s the Dunesi woman
She’s a little boho herself, loves the outdoors, spends time with her family and friends on the beach and eating “al fresco”. She comes from anywhere in the world, cares about our planet, is full of life and wanderlust and is always making memories.
What does Dunesi mean?
I come from Finland and in Finnish “unesi” means “your dream”, we then added D for Dubai and made up Dunesi which fittingly has ‘dunes” in it too… your Dubai dream.
Have you any plans to make the brand more eco-friendly / sustainable?
Being sustainable is a big part of our philosophy. Dunesi is a member of 1% for the Planet organization (one of only two in the UAE!), donating 1% of revenue towards protecting our planet. We don’t use any plastic in our packaging, our delivery packages are made of recycled paper as is also our jewellery range (in collaboration with Agulu Paperbeads). We are also currently looking for and testing some natural materials to use in the next collection.
