Celebrated fashion designer Rahil Hesan Polka Dot enjoys life collection celebrates women, their stories, health experiences battles and victories.
Born and raised in Dubai, UAE, with a devotion to all things fashion, Rahil completed her studies at Cavendish College, London majoring in Fashion Design, Accessory Design, Colour Theory and Fashion Psychology. After graduating in 2004, she launched her own fashion brand and business the following year. Named Warda Haute Couture, Rail’s brand reflected her signature with innovative and fresh collections. Her unique blend of Eastern flair and European simplicity quickly won her high-profile clientele, and she was invited to showcase her collection at the Dubai Bridal Show. Warda Haute Couture boutique and atelier in Jumeirah was launched in 2009 and in 2010 the brand presented its Spring/Summer collection at Dubai Fashion Week, propelling Rail Hesan’s status to new heights in the fashion industry.
Her designs have adorned many international red carpets and her glamorous gowns have been seen on Hollywood celebrities including Sofia Milos at the Monte Carlo TV Awards. Gemma White at the Cannes Film Festival, and Samantha Gutstadt and Eva Longoria at the Emmy Awards. Reaching new heights, Hesan’s Spring/Summer collection was showcased at the 2014 New York Fashion Week, the home of ground-breaking, edgy fashion, to great success.
In 2015, a cancer diagnosis forced her to put her business on hold in order to focus on her health. After having overcome this phase and regaining her health, she made a comeback with a fashion show and dressed international celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood. The following year, despite great demand, Rahil decided to pursue other various aspects of fashion, including designing exclusively for singer Carrie Underwood for her American tour. That same year, she partook in Los Angeles Fashion Week by dressing American star Maria Valentino in her showstopper to huge acclaim.
In June 2019, she presented Miss Lili, a capsule collection for Ramadan. After a break due to the loss of her father, she introduced another capsule collection, La Soie. In December 2020, Rahil introduced a unique T-shirt line, and was the first designer in the UAE to create couture customised face masks during thepandemic. Today, Rahil is back on track with her fashion brand Rahil Hesan and is moving forward, steadily regaining her place on the fashion scene with her latest collection leaving an indelible mark.
POLKA DOT ENJOY LIFE
Inspired by her own journey with breast cancer, Hesan’s Polka Dot Enjoy Life campaign is a collective platform forwomen to come together to share their stories, experiences, health battles, and victories. The project embraces women and their suffering; not only breast cancer, but skin disease, acid attacks, vitiligo, obesity, birthmarks, physical and emotional abuse — anything that adversely affects their quality of life. The objective is to reach these women and have them share their stories with the world. Rahil strongly believes every woman has a story to share, spreading inspiration and hope to others enduring their own personal tribulations. Boasting Hollywood glamour and rock chic style, Polka Dot represents various sizes and colours. Just like women. Texture is also revealing, depending on what you see. You may see a woman with spots and darker shades or a woman with many spots and stains. It is all about perception, whether you see colourful spots or the darker side. Think body scans. What do you see?
The survivors and thrivers are the cornerstones of the project. These indomitable women come together to spread their tales and experience. Proceeds from the collection will be donated to those who give their time and help for theirknowledge, who also have the opportunity to pay it forward to others suffering from a life-limiting condition in order to help them face their challenges head on. Polka Dot is about spreading the word and supporting those in need. Rahil’smission is to connect with survivors to share their stories, talk to them, listen and gain inspiration for the collection byhaving a photo shoot with them, to present role models, and get to know the real heroines of these stories.