Spectrum: The many worlds of fashion entrepreneur and legal star Sarah Malik

“I have always been drawn to timeless elegance, pieces that don’t need to fight for attention but command it effortlessly and transcend time,” says the fashion designer in Sarah Malik, whose career crosses multiple disciplines. Besides her fashion brand Sarah M, Sarah is the Founder of SOL International Ltd, a boutique legal consultancy registered at Abu Dhabi Global Market, the major international financial centre and free zone in Abu Dhabi. Sarah also owns a lucrative property portfolio with an additional resource being the Sarah Malik Lifestyle, encompassing bespoke mentoring, strategic consultation, operational advice, collaborative partnerships and PR relations. A mother of two, she is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, published author, lecturer, international speaker, and board member.

“Fashion to me is refinement with depth,” she says. “It is about how a lady steps into her day with grace, elegance, purpose, and inner strength. No noise is needed: she does not need validation. She just has to be in her element, confident and poised.” Sarah M designs reflect women who are like me, Sarah adds, “ambitious yet grounded, bold but understated, confident and classical.” According to Sarah, “luxury does not need to be loud; it is in the small details, the tailoring, and the feeling of wearing something that turns heads without you having to do anything.” Fashion for her is a way of celebrating that aura and bringing the balance between power and femininity, independence and softness “and the beauty of staying true to yourself.”

She grew up in the world of fashion in a family that excelled in the production and retail of women’s evening wear and leather garments. It gave her an early introduction to style and fashion. Even as she pursued a successful legal career, fashion was always a part of her identity - so much so her professional colleagues would say she should be a stylist for the legal profession! When she moved to Dubai, she embraced a more expressive and vibrant wardrobe, further solidifying a reputation for impeccable style. Over the years, many colleagues and clients have turned to her for fashion advice, whether it was finding the perfect dress or curating their personal style. They also did not hesitate to borrow pieces from her wardrobe!

A soft fall.

The peer recognition led her to study Fashion Law at the Milan Fashion Institute in 2023, where she combined her legal expertise with her love for the fashion industry. The course covered fashion processes and business models (including those from France, Italy, Brazil and China) fashion IP processes, fashion negotiation, design, fashion pipeline and counterfeiting, marketing and promotion agreements and merchandising plan, as well as how to plan and design a fashion collection. In 2023, she was appointed to the Advisory Board of Fashion Law Arabia by Sader, working closely with luxury brands, models and influencers, while establishing herself as a go-to name in fashion strategy and business. Sader is a leading provider of comprehensive legal and business solutions, with a strong regional presence.

Sarah is also a published author, having written various articles on issues affecting the fashion industry including sustainability, metaverse, franchising and HR issues. She has spoken on panels on infringement issues in the virtual fashion world and is frequently invited to speak at conferences in the UAE, GCC and internationally. In 2025, she was appointed as Adjunct Faculty in Fashion Law and Fashion Management at the Italian Institute of Fashion Management, Milan; she presented her first lecture there the same year on the subject ‘Runway to Regulation: The Middle East as a Fashion Powerhouse’.

Sarah Malik is based in Dubai.

She has also been retained as Counsel for one of the largest jewellery brands in the Gold and Diamond Park, UAE. Inter alia, she looks after the business and personal interests of fashion celebrities who require legal guidance and assistance, with clientele in the UAE, Lebanon, and Europe. The luxury couture ladies fashion brand Sarah M was founded by her in 2025. Present both online and through select event showcases in the GCC, the brand has been hosted in Los Angeles and London. Sarah M had its debut show last year, supported by renowned jewellery and cosmetic brands, Kiko Milano and Cara Jewelers.

As a writer, Sarah has co-authored the article ‘Styled for the Future: Legal Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion’ and in 2024, was published in respect to HR Issues in the fashion industry. Also, in 2024, she co-authored the articles ‘Tailored by Technology: The Enigma of AI and what it means for Fashion Law: a comparative analysis’ and ‘Stitching the Legal Fabric: Exploring the Interplay of Fashion and Law in the UAE’. She also co-authors published Practice Notes in fashion law, on the LexisNexis platform. Sarah’s business expertise and lifelong connection to fashion play a key role in shaping the Sarah M brand. Sarah M can be said to be an extension of the woman behind it — someone who has spent years navigating the worlds of power and style with ease.

“In a world where fashion trends shift, go and reappear in an instant,” says Sarah, “Sarah M embraces a return to old-school glamour and classical elegance, and luxury that transcends time. With an emphasis on timeless silhouettes, impeccable tailoring and carefully curated fabrics, Sarah M is a brand built on the philosophy that true style never fades, and that in an era of constant change, classical remains the ultimate statement.”