10 Things To Know About Retold

The pioneering sustainable fashion boutique helping Dubai get dressed up the environmentally-friendly way

As they move to a brand new space in Al Quoz, RETOLD’s Chief Storyteller, Sian Rowlands, tells The Gaggler why Dubai’s best-kept style secret is also it’s most sustainable fashion concept store.

TG: What’s the concept behind RETOLD?

SR: RETOLD is pre-owned fashion boutique reselling gorgeous, lightly used items in perfect condition from your favorite high-street and luxury brands

TG: What kind of clothing do you accept?

SR: We accept both high-street and designer clothes, shoes and accessories. We only accept items in perfect condition however – anything that shows any signs of wear and tear will be donated to a charitable cause.

TG: How can I earn money by selling my unwanted clothing through RETOLD?

SR: There are two ways to earn with RETOLD, you can either opt for a cash payout for the clothing you bring to us, or you can choose to use store credit – which will earn you up to four times as much!

We offer our payouts based on value, so the more designer pieces you have to sell with us, the more you can earn.

TG: Can you buy online?

SR: Yes, we have a small selection of available pieces on our website, although because we have upwards of 8,000 pieces in stock at any one time, you won’t be able to find it all listed online – especially if you are working on a budget.

TG: What’s the best day to shop at RETOLD?

SR: Every day! We are open seven days a week – it’s always a good day to shop sustainably.

TG: Do you have an in-store stylist to help me shop?

SR: We do indeed. All of our staff are happy to help you find something that you’ll love, and because they are very familiar with all the pieces we have in stock, they know exactly where to look for the pieces perfect for each customer. Our in-house retail manager Jelena also has a seriously keen eye for ‘what will look good on you’!

TG: Do you sell vintage pieces?

SR: We have a small selection of vintage pieces – think pre-1980’s-type vintage! Our vintage selection is always really popular and often gets snapped up as soon as we’ve restocked. We’re a little low on our vintage finds since the COVID lockdown and subsequent travel restrictions (our vintage items are sourced by the team personally overseas!), but we have a few pieces left. We also have a range of amazing vintage cameras and some original vinyl and decorative items.

TG: How often do you get new stock in store?

SR: Every day! Well, pretty much. Because our items come directly from our clients, we receive new stock on a daily basis.

TG: What do you do with all the unsold stock?

SR: Obviously our stock has a shelf life, although we try and sell it before resorting to anything else. But if it doesn’t sell straight away, after some time we’ll discount the price. And if it doesn’t sell after that, it’s donated to charity. There’s a couple of charities we work with – namely Gulf for Good (and their social enterprise Thrift for Good), but we also work with Red Crescent.

TG: Where can we find you?

SR: We’ve just moved to an awesome new location in Al Quoz, at Warehouse 11, Red Crescent Compound, 6th Street, Al Quoz First.

It’s directly opposite the big DEWA Sustainability Office, and Emirates Post Al Quoz Branch, and right between Dynatrade Auto Servicing and our friends at Cash Converters.

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Posted by Samia Qaiyum

At Home with Saudi Model Ghaliah Amin

Meet a woman on a mission.

In a world where impossible body types (read: skinny) are glorified, regardless of the cost, International No Diet Day is a celebration that deserves more recognition. Marked annually on May 6 to promote body acceptance and body shape diversity, it aims to help both men and women worldwide to appreciate their own bodies – a mission that Ghaliah Amin is all too familiar with.

She is widely hailed as Saudi Arabia’s first plus-size model, but in the process of breaking boundaries and defying stereotypes, prefers simply to be known as ‘a model from Saudi Arabia’. The Dubai-based model and TV host is also an outspoken body positivity activist – and full of surprises. For starters, she has a master’s degree in Art History and Museum Studies, a fact reflected in every inch of her eclectic apartment, where we spent an afternoon discussing filters, photo retouching, family pressure to lose weight, and the often-unseen resilience of Saudi women.

She also founded the Ana Ghaliah (I am precious) social media initiative to promote body positivity after first-hand witnessing the lack of diversity and inclusion in the fashion world. “Beauty is all about becoming the best version of you,” she says, setting out to remind all women that they’re precious, regardless of their shape or size. And because the correlation between a positive body image and improved mental health is undeniable, we’d be remiss not to celebrate this model – and role model – for her self-love message on International No Diet Day, today.