Manal Ajaj

Manal Ajaj was born in 1978.^[4] Ajaj practiced sewing from a very young age and began working in embroidery in the old quarters of Damascus at the age of 10.^[4] She designed and presented her first complete wedding gown at age 14.^[5][6]

At age 15, she moved to Kuwait to work at Dar'Samalia Fashion House,^[4] where she was considered the youngest designer there. She continued working there for five years.

At age 20, she returned to Damascus and opened a small atelier. Later, she traveled to Italy and Thailand to refine her skills, then moved to Al Ain in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where she launched Manal de la Moda, which became one of the largest fashion houses in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. She also launched her own brand, Manolia, with its main branch in Damascus.^[5]

During the Los Angeles Summer Exhibition (2015), part of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Festival, Ajaj presented 15 diverse designs distinguished by quality and style. She used fabrics such as lace, tulle, and organza, in summer colors like pink, white, and red.^[7]

In her exhibitions Alphabet of Jasmine (2014 and 2015), she introduced innovative collections inspired by successive Syrian civilizations — presenting the Alphabet of Jasmine I (2014) in Berlin, Alphabet of Jasmine II in Beirut, and Alphabet of Jasmine III in Los Angeles.^[8][9]