The kandura is remarkably versatile. You can wear it as a business suit, a tuxedo, or leisurewear. And now, thanks to under-the-radar streetwear brand KANDOR-T, you can also wear the kandura as a t-shirt.
The concept is incredibly simple: it’s a kandura cut in the pattern of your most comfortable t-shirt. Like the classic Emirati kandura, there is no collar, it’s made with fine Japanese fabric, and most importantly, it is strictly made in the UAE:
“We’re manufactured in Abu Dhabi by actual kandura tailors who construct each garment one by one,” said the company’s founder, who prefers to stay behind the scenes. “Each Gulf region has a different type of traditional dress so it’s important to keep that dialogue authentic. It’s wouldn’t be true to the brand to use tailors outside of the UAE.”
As the owner told us, years ago, traditional Emirati fishermen would wear modified, cut-off kanduras out to sea. So the young entrepreneur asked himself: ‘Why not make a modern version?’
Three months ago, the founder did just that, making one for himself, which quickly caught on among friends. “All of my friends wanted one and eventually I thought, ‘I should bring this to more people,’” the designer told us.
For the founder, kandor-T is all about culture, heritage, and the future. “The brand is merging traditional clothing with something that’s common like a t-shirt–it’s old meets new,” he said.
Upcoming drops include graphic t-shirts and sports caps in cotton, suede, and wool. Looking even further into the future, cut-and-sew garments and custom kidswear are also on the horizon. But as the founder told us, the brand’s signature garment will always be its remixed thobes: “With the kandura tee, I’m really trying to make the kandura accessible to everyone.”
You can find KANDOR-T at the Luxury Arcade at World Trade Center Mall and on Instagram
https://instagram.com/kandor_t/
{gallery}Fashionably Late- November2015{/gallery}
