PRECIOUS TRUST The Amazigh designer showing the sartorial side of Algeria

Precious Trust

“I want to show youth, nature, family, love stories and everything all around,” says Wathek Allah, a young man on a mission. “I love the North African tacky and romantic stuff.” Fed up with the negative stereotypes that come attached to being Algerian, he uses the medium of fashion to spread the word of an underrated and misrepresented country that’s brimming with culture, tradition, and crucially, romance.

Born in Syria to Algerian parents, at the advent of war, when he was 15 years old, Allal’s family fled to Dubai. It’s there that his label, Precious Trust, began. “I liked florals and preppy stuff like suit pants, but I could never find it here, or it was really expensive. So I made myself a floral-covered tracksuit with a really clean silhouette.” A few months later he was dropping out of studying to be a pilot and was instead hosting his first pop-up store. He sold out of everything and now, two years down the line, and with fans in the UK and Japan, he is releasing his third full collection, called Late Night Beach. His most recent offering reflects on the importance of having somewhere inspirational to go that is capable of evoking emotion, memory and peace of mind.

Growing up, Allal would hide his heritage. “When I was living in Syria, people would say ‘Algerian’ in a bad way; the word had negative stereotypes attached to it about how Algerians are angry all the time. It just became this thing where I was like, ‘Okay, cool, I’m not Algerian then’. But then I started finding out about all of the things that are happening there.” Reconnecting with the country, he was especially taken with the way that young Algerians express emotion. “People write on walls and have these tattoos about each other. It’s over the top because they are very, very caring. They act like they’re tough but on the inside they’re really sweet.”

A personal project, this label is an expression of a young man falling in love with his homeland. Indeed the name of his brand derives from his first name, Wathek, which translates as ‘trust’ and Precious is the nickname he gives to those close to him. “From the beginning my work has been like a journal, and most of the references are moments that only I would understand. I don’t want to just create random clothing, it’s really all for me.” Making use of traditional Amazigh colours and fabrics, such as plush green and rich burgundy wools, Allal constructs modern, sporty pieces that are built with movement in mind. The look is minimalist and created without any sense of irony. “I’m inspired by Algerian costume but it doesn’t have to be traditional clothing, it could be how Algerian youths wear tracksuits and side-bags,” he explains. “And my designs are inspired by skateboarding too — I’ve been skating for about eight years — so have made things more comfortable with convenient pocket placement.” Also a self-taught illustrator, Allal uses imagery to show another side of Africa’s largest country. His previous collections have featured a graphic of a crossword that revealed facts about Algeria, and illustrations of local pastries. “There are so many amazing things to talk about, but no-one does.”

Models NICOLE SUMANASEKERA, ASMA AL-ALOOSI, PARVANE BARRET, WIDAD HASSAN, GONCA AKKEL, ZARA NELSON, LINA SABRY.