Dukkan Avantique: Where Heritage Meets the Avant-Garde

Step into Dukkan Avantique and you’re not just entering a concept store — you’re slipping into a feeling. A feeling that smells faintly of your grandmother’s oud perfume, hums with the nostalgic crackle of an old Fairouz cassette, and gleams with the unapologetic boldness of a Gen Z rebel redefining her roots in 2025.

Founded by best friends Sally Batha and Rima Rokh, Dukkan Avantique is less brand, more portal. “We wanted to bottle the joy of small things that feel like home,” Rima tells us. And that’s exactly what they’ve done — built a universe where a hand-painted Levantine ceramic, a retro poster from the 80s, or a digitally-collaged silk scarf doesn’t just accessorize your outfit — it reminds you of who you are.

Born on July 7, 2021, by two Arab women in their early twenties, the project was fueled by a shared obsession for art, fashion, and entrepreneurship. Rima, a Palestinian-Jordanian self-taught artist and former strategy consultant, describes their vision as “a mood… an old soul that adventures into an artistic and edgy persona.” Sally, a Palestinian-Indian business grad raised in Dubai, brings global savvy to the mix. Together, their friendship turned into something generationally important — a brand that speaks to the complexities of third culture kids with rare authenticity.

And if you’re wondering where the name comes from, it’s a story in itself. Dukkan, Arabic for "store," conjures the warmth of neighborhood shops — the kind you’d visit for everything and nothing. Avantique is a made-up fusion of avant-garde and antique — an intentional mash-up, just like the brand. “It mirrors our multicultural identity,” Rima explains. “Just like how we effortlessly speak in Arabic, English, and sometimes French in one sentence.”

What’s powerful about Dukkan Avantique is that it doesn’t chase trends. There’s no seasonal moodboard. No viral TikTok moment. “Each collection emerges from a story we feel called to tell,” Rima shares. “It might be a personal memory, or a collective ache we want to explore. From there, we build a narrative world — the colors, textures, and symbols are all chosen to serve that story.”

You feel it in every piece — the photo-printed kaftans, the collage-inspired accessories, the sharp use of typography pulled from vintage Arab newspapers. It’s art. But it’s also wearability. Not in a watered-down, commercially diluted way, but in the sense that wearing Dukkan Avantique means carrying a conversation — about place, about identity, about belonging.

And that’s the whole point.

“To us, luxury isn’t about price tags. It’s about presence,” Rima insists. “It’s having the courage to stand out in a world trying to make you fit in.” In other words: the true luxury today is having the audacity to be exactly who you are — even if that “you” doesn’t fit into neat boxes.

For young Arab creatives, Dukkan Avantique is a mirror, a memory, a revolution in the softest packaging. “We want them to feel seen, inspired, and gently reminded of where they come from,” Rima says. “It’s a place where you don’t have to choose between tradition and expression. You can have both. And more.”

More on DukkanAvantique.com

Outside shoot:

Photography: @abdalrhmanfawazz

Creative Direction & Styling: @Rimarokh

Models: @yararokh @nourseraj @raghaddahabi @Sara.abdulraheem @saiffbukhari @abdallahkswani @abdullah_almarabeh

Indoor shoot:

Photography: @bysarahlasheen

‍Styling: @mahmoudsaad_

‍Hair and MUA: @agneshkah

‍Models: @soumae@mahmoudsaad_@guilhermevanzela@lilsweetmarcy