December, 2025

Sole DXB, 2025

Presenting Absent Findings at Sole DXB felt deeply personal. I moved to Dubai at seven and, in many ways, grew up alongside the city itself. It has always been home, even during periods when my relationship with it felt complicated. Like many third-culture kids, I was shaped by its pace, its openness, and its constant sense of possibility. Yet as I grew older, I began to feel misunderstood—especially as my inner world became increasingly informed by music, cinema, and art, discovering the works of Kubrick, Jodorowsky, and Lynch, which often felt far removed from the reality around me.

Leaving Dubai in 2016 marked a turning point. Living and studying in Illinois, and later moving to Florence to study fashion, allowed me the distance needed to understand my own creative language. It was during those years that I began to articulate what I wanted to express through clothing, image, and narrative—while still holding Dubai close, not as something left behind, but as something that continued to quietly shape my perspective.

Now, living between Dubai and Milan, the city has taken on a new meaning. It has become a place where things truly happen—where Absent Findings exists not just as a brand, but as a living extension of community, friendship, and shared values. Returning with this clarity has made life here feel beautifully surreal again, familiar yet newly charged with intention.

Sharing this moment with my partner, and the art director of Absent Findings, made it even more meaningful. Building this world together has grounded the work in trust, dialogue, and a shared way of seeing—allowing the brand to feel deeply personal while remaining open to interpretation.

SOLE DXB holds a unique cultural weight within the region. It has long been a platform where fashion, music, sport, and art intersect, giving space to voices that reflect the diversity and creative energy of the Middle East and its global diaspora. More than an event, it has become a cultural marker—one that champions self-expression, authenticity, and community in a region that is constantly redefining itself. Presenting Absent Findings within this context felt both grounding and affirming.

Seeing our friends wear Absent Findings at SOLE—moving freely, expressing themselves without pretense—meant everything. It felt like a reflection of what the brand stands for: lived-in clothing, real people, and shared moments that exist beyond trend or spectacle.

I’m deeply grateful to the entire SOLE DXB team, to my parents for their endless belief and support, and to everyone who has stood alongside me throughout this journey. Presenting Absent Findings here felt like a full-circle moment. Proud to call this place home.