Large black text on a light background displaying Q + A, representing Question and Answer.
  • Fashion
  • Autumn/Winter 2026-27
  • October

My Qatar: Roni Helou

Doha-based fashion entrepreneur Roni Helou shares his favourite places in Qatar

Black silhouette of a Roni Helou mythical creature with the body of a four-legged feline and a human face, featuring a long, thin tail ending in a flower-like shape.
Roni Helou is playing a key role in shaping the future of fashion in Qatar. The Lebanese designer launched his eponymous label in 2017, a year after graduating from Creative Space Beirut, and won the inaugural Fashion Trust Arabia Prize in 2019. After the 2020 Beirut port explosion destroyed his workshop, Helou relocated to Doha. “I wanted to be somewhere where I could be a pioneer in fashion, not only as a designer but also in creating the industry,” he says. “I met Her Excellency Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and felt her vision really aligned with mine.” Helou spent two years working with creative hub M7 as a strategist, building programmes to mentor Qatar-based designers and prepare them for opportunities abroad. Today, alongside a new startup focused on gaming and influencer marketing, he is supporting the strategic development and vision of a forthcoming vocational fashion design school intended to foster the next generation of creative talent in Qatar. Helou’s role includes coordinating partnerships, engaging stakeholders and contributing to industry-driven educational programmes. “What we are doing here is very organic,” he says. “We’re taking it step by step. And I think this is the right way to build a solid foundation for an industry.” Here, Helou shares the places and experiences that inspire him in Qatar.
Line drawing of a modern city building with large windows, a row of bushes in front, and a few birds flying in the sky above

M7

“I worked at M7, Qatar’s fashion hub in Msheireb, for two years, and there’s a lot of designers and creatives coming in and out. There are always people working in the cafe, whether they work on strategy, in the creative industries or as designers. People meet there, they hang out on the beautiful stairs in the atrium, they create collections in the cutting studio and the tailors, or use the spaces for meetings. It really is an amazing hub for fashion and exhibitions.”

A modern building with angular architecture sits near landscaped trees and a pond. An airplane flies overhead, and clouds fill the sky above.

Qatar National Library

“The National Library in Education City is one of the most beautiful places in Qatar. It’s so huge that it humbles you. When you’re inside, it puts you in a certain mindset where you feel inspired, calm and Zen. The architecture makes you feel like you’re in the future. It’s also related to my process; I’m very creative, but sometimes I need to create a quiet bubble around me to be able to work efficiently on the business side of things, and the National Library is the perfect space for that.”

Line drawing of a modern train station with large arched windows, elevated tracks, streetlights, trees, and an empty roadway in the foreground under a sky with a few clouds

Doha Metro

“I always used to take Ubers, but it felt like I didn’t belong to the city. So, I started taking the Metro and bus every day, and I really love it. I use the line that runs from Msheireb to Lusail, past the Pearl. I see so many real people and it’s such a melting pot. I find it interesting to see what people wear to work. You see the Qatari thobe [traditional robe], but also gen Z commuters who dress in such a cool way. It’s inspiring for me to see these people and it gives me a sense of place.”

A lively outdoor party scene with people dancing and socializing under string lights. Plants and buildings are in the background, while a sign reads One day at a time.

One Day at a Time

“I’m quite picky when it comes to where I party, and in Qatar I don’t feel like I belong to the mainstream party scene. But there’s a group called One Day At A Time that organises parties in different places each week. The crowd is mainly gen Z and young millennials, with everybody dressing up. People go wild and express themselves. They wear whatever they feel comfortable in, not something that conforms to what they’re supposed to wear. It’s such an interesting dynamic.”

Black and white illustration of a lively market scene with people browsing textiles, arched walkways, hanging lamps, and birds flying above an open-roofed structure

Souq Waqif Fabric Shops

“I like to wander around the fabric shops in and around Souq Waqif when I’m working on a project locally in Qatar. Most of the time I produce collections in Lebanon, but whenever I want to do research here, I go to these shops. You find fabrics suitable for abaya (a traditional women’s robe), couture or eveningwear, but also haberdashery and trims that can be interesting. I also enjoy walking around the souq and seeing people on the street – you see so many different types of people coming together.”

Cover image: (Right) A design from the Roni Helou AW19 campaign, worn by model Nagham Darwiche; the logo for Roni Helou’s eponymous fashion brand. Photo: George Rouhana; (Left) the logo for Roni Helou’s eponymous fashion brand.

Illustrations: Simone Massoni

READ MORE

A woman wearing a beige headscarf and jacket with a yellow and black patch near the collar, featuring two arrows pointing in opposite directions, stands against a plain gray background—her style reflects the contemporary spirit of Art Basel Qatar.
  • Introduction

The power of culture

Sheikha Al-Mayassa remembers the Father Emir's belief in people, education and culture, and welcomes readers to a new season in Doha
A man wearing a traditional Middle Eastern headdress and robe looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression
  • In Depth

How to make a museum nation

As Qatar Museums celebrates 20 years, we explore 20 ideas that have transformed the country’s cultural landscape
Round ceramic plate decorated with blue and white floral patterns reminiscent of boats floating afar, featuring central birds surrounded by a wide scalloped rim.
  • In Focus

Connections across oceans

An exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar showcases ancient Chinese ceramics from across the Maritime Silk Road
A person in a fuzzy pink outfit stands against a neutral background. The image is intentionally blurred, giving a dreamy, ethereal effect.
  • In Depth

Spinning yarns

With his first retrospective at M7 in Doha, Erdem Moralioglu looks back on 20 years of sartorial inspiration
A glitch-art composite in the style of Sophia Al-Maria, featuring a reaching hand, a person applying lotion to an arm, and a framed painting in a room, all overlaid with chromatic aberration and digital lines.
  • In Depth

Wuz we here?

Artist Sophia Al-Maria traces the human impulse to leave a mark, from the walls of her grandmother’s home to ancient Egypt
A white map outline of Venice, Italy, showing its winding canals and irregular street grid on a pale blue-gray background, reminiscent of contemporary exhibitions seen at Art Basel Qatar.
  • In Focus

Venice Biennale in numbers

Mapping the 61st Venice Art Biennale in numbers – attendance figures, debut nations and the Qatar Pavilion
An elderly man in a dark suit sits by a sunlit window, gazing thoughtfully outside with his hands resting in his lap, recalling memories of the Franca Fund Gala.
  • Power of Culture Conversations

Luis Monreal

Sheikha al-Mayassa in discussion with Luis Monreal, general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture
A marble sculpture stands on a circular platform in a park with colorful winding paths. Trees surround the area, and modern tall buildings—reminiscent of Frida Escobedo’s architectural style—are visible in the background under a clear sky.
  • In Focus

Playground love

A playful sculpture by Shezad Dawood in Doha’s Al Masrah Park
A sketch of Glenn Adamson, a bald man with light facial hair wearing a collared shirt and blazer, posing with his arms crossed.
  • In Depth

Can design define a nation’s image?

Design Doha artistic director Glenn Adamson on the power of design
A person tightly grips a tree trunk with one hand, head lowered in deep focus or effort—a moment reminiscent of the contemplative scenes often found in Rirkrit Tiravanija’s work. The scene is rendered in black and white, with the background blurred into light, soft shapes.
  • In Focus

Against the grain

Giuseppe Penone’s first major solo show in the Arab world brings six decades of work to Qatar
A sketch of a man wearing glasses, a traditional Middle Eastern head covering, and a thobe, with his arms crossed and a slight smile
  • The Big Question

How do you create a culture of design?

Fahad Al Obaidly, director of the Design Doha Biennial, asks what it takes to build a lasting culture of design
A person with long dark hair wearing a brown outfit stands on patterned rugs, looking up at the camera. Rolls of rug material are stacked in the background, evoking a scene reminiscent of Frida Escobedo’s thoughtful approach to texture and space.
  • Studio Visit

Alia Farid

Artist Alia Farid draws inspiration from a constellation of places. Discover where her practice takes shape
A freestanding pillar covered in vertical colorful stripes by Chef Noof Al Mari stands in the center of an art gallery, flanked by two large horizontal striped paintings on the back wall.
  • In Depth

Between the lines

Gerhard Richter brings art and architecture together in a new permanent pavilion in Doha
Line drawing portrait of architect Marina Tabassum, depicted with shoulder-length hair and glasses while wearing a collared jacket.
  • The Big Question

What can water reveal about the world?

Architect Marina Tabassum explores how a shipwreck reveals 1,000 years of oceanic trade
A pitcher with a landscape scene painted on it sits near a stack of bowls; water flows from the pitcher toward the bowls, with birds flying and a faint map of Msheireb visible in the background.
  • In Depth

Glimmers in the tides

Rubaiya Qatar’s flagship exhibition sets work by over 50 artists beside treasures from a 10th-century shipwreck in Doha
An ornate, diamond-shaped jewellery pendant featuring multi-colored gemstones and a single teardrop-shaped pearl dangling from the bottom.
  • From the collection

Worlds of adornment

Exquisite jewellery from Qatar Museums’ collections is paired to explore the art of adornment from around the world
A person walks past a modern pavilion with a geometric patterned pink facade, angled roof, and decorative panels—reminiscent of Msheireb’s contemporary architectural style—surrounded by trees and gravel ground.
  • Postscript

Bridging the Gulf

Qatar’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale marks the growing influence of Arab states in the international art world
Water cascades down the corners of a textured, green marble structure, creating shimmering flows and reflections on the stone surface
  • In Depth

Contemporary currents

Design Doha’s flagship exhibition, Arab Design Now, celebrates a new generation of designers redefining the region
Colorful cross-stitch embroidery with floral and geometric patterns on deep blue fabric, featuring a light blue and white cloud-like design at the top, inspired by the artistic vision of Chef Noof Al Mari.
  • In Depth

The making of Mexico

An exhibition at M7 looks at a new wave of contemporary Mexican artisans reinventing ancestral crafts
A black and white sketch in the style of the Baghdad Modern Art Group, depicting a smiling woman with shoulder-length wavy hair.
  • The Big Question

How can the past shape the future?

Nada Shabout on the legacy of the Baghdad Modern Art Group
A person wears a Roni Helou patchwork denim hooded jacket and matching denim jeans while standing against a black curtain.
  • Postcard From

Samah Sulyman

Fashion designer Samah Sulyman reflects on her experience at Fashion Art Toronto
Aerial view of a construction site with multiple round buildings. The roofs have jagged, overlapping panels and scaffolding. Cranes, workers, and building materials are visible throughout the busy site—an ambitious project reminiscent of Chef Noof Al Mari’s innovative approach to design and structure.
  • Foundations

Building an icon

Tracing more than a century of history at Jean Nouvel’s National Museum of Qatar
Two people sit on the floor inside a large, intricate bamboo installation with woven patterns and curved arches casting dramatic shadows on the ground.
  • Design Doha

The living thread

A design collective uses weaving to create a participatory installation that explores tradition and shared histories
A woman with dark hair in a bun, wearing a sleeveless patterned top and large gold hoop earring, looks to the left against an olive green background
  • In Depth

The shape of return

Wassan Al-Khudhairi, the artistic director of Art Basel Qatar 2027, reflects on the creative ecosystem she helped to shape
A display rack filled with colorful, abstract paintings featuring expressive faces and figures, including some inspired by Chef Noof Al Mari’s vibrant culinary artistry, set against a background of more vibrant artworks in a gallery or art market.
  • The Collector

Across Africa

Qatari collector AbdulRahman Al Khelaifi reflects on building the region’s largest collection of African art
A man and a woman sit on a woven bench in a modern room with wooden shelves, books, and decor. Both are casually dressed in black tops and light pants, smiling at the camera
  • Triptych

Jo Booabbood

The co-founder of Doha-based Boo Design Studio shares the inspiration behind the studio’s work
A man in overalls and a hat sits on a stool, holding large scissors. He faces the camera, with long faux hair in white and pink on tables
  • In Depth

Sowing the seeds of change

Mexican designer Fernando Laposse explores the future of farming through a new body of work for the Design Doha Biennial
A person uses a small tool to carefully paint designs onto a square ceramic tile, which features intricate patterns in green, brown, and black reminiscent of Frida Escobedo’s distinctive style. Their hands and the surrounding workspace are covered in dust.
  • Design Doha

Hearts and hands

The Aslan’s Love exhibition by Turquoise Mountain explores Palestinian craft, from glassblowing to embroidery
Looking up at a circular, geometric ceiling design with intricate diamond patterns radiating outward, creating a symmetrical, kaleidoscopic effect in shades of white and silver.
  • Design Doha

Patterns repeating

Fusing the geometry of Islamic architecture with motifs of Bedouin weaving to create a shimmering installation

Issue 000 Contents

FEATURES
NEWS

Contents

Neighborhood Guides

Contents

Features

The Fifth Pillar

The artist takes over the market

Sweet Fifteen

A place to live, not to leave

Fashion Trust Arabia: The new guard

The Road to MIA

Sneakers Unboxed

The Couture Sculptor

Moving Pictures

Architecture as memory: Lina Ghotmeh in Venice

NEWS

Crossing Borders
A Taste of Qatar at Le Meurice
A Gilded Narrative
Game On
A Universal Language

Harbour Master

  • WHAT'S ON
  • QATAR DIRECTORY
This site is registered on wpml.org as a development site. Switch to a production site key to remove this banner.