Rasool Taj, Head of Buying and Merchandising at DWELL for Liwa Trading Enterprises LLC
Shereen Shabnam
Decorating your personal space is more than filling it with pretty things – every item should bring happiness and inspire you each day. We recently sat down with Rasool Taj who joined Liwa Trading Enterprises LLC as the Head of Buying and Merchandising after working for reputed brands across the GCC.
With almost 20 years of experience under her belt, Rasool is an ace in bringing product ranges that meet consumer needs at the right price, in the right place, and at the right time.
Her entrepreneurial mindset, adaptability to change, and enthusiastic persona all add to her expertise in bringing thoughtfully selected home furnishings and decor to help you create spaces you love and want to spend time in. We ask Rasool about what she is currently passionate about.
Tell us about yourself and what you do at Dwell.
I am the head of buying and merchandising at Dwell but look after other home brands for Liwa so that we cater for everything for your house. We have an amazing team of buyers and merchandisers who are responsible to design, select, source, negotiate all of the products that you see in our stores.
The new collection that we saw today has a lot of inspiration from different places in London. Tell us a little bit about that.
Actually, we called each room design for our current look after a place in London such as Highgate, Camden, Bricks, and it’s quite a nice, quirky way to do it. There is a bit of UK inspiration as the furniture is sourced from there.
Curation is very creative and very different at Dwell. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you this summer.
One of the many things that we are really proud of at Dwell is that we always do something that is a bit different because we are in a space where there’s lots of competition. We like to keep ourselves current and on top of our game. We do custom made furniture and a wide selection of candles and fragrances. There’s a story behind everything and our passion comes from the fact that we always want to do something that’s a little bit different.
Do you have any favorites in the different sections in this collection?
I feel very privileged to have a job where I get to essentially deal with products all day, every day and as I love home, I am not able to go to our stores without buying something as we have gorgeous products, amazing suppliers so I love all of it. Our pieces are timeless and from summer to winter to spring, they remain conic pieces that you still want in your home. Whilewe follow the trends, we also offer a real eclectic mix of products, from beautiful glassware to statement art pieces that make the home really unique.
Were you always very passionate about design and interiors and how did you get into this career?
I always wanted to be a buyer as my parents have corner shops in UK so from a very young age, I used to work in my parents corner shops. I loved making the list go through cash and carry and picking items customers were going to buy. I knew as soon as I graduated that I wanted to go into a field where I could be around products. And I have always loved traveling so I got into a career where I get to travel and buy products, combining my two passions traveling and shopping.
What advice would you give people like younger generation of women who want to be like you and do what you do?
I have been very privileged to have had an amazing career, and I knew what I wanted to do. But I think if you love what you do, it comes easy. For people who are creative, this is the best career to go into, especially If you love both the product and the commercial element of it.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Dwell as a brand is super exciting. We have 25 stores now and another five by the end of the year. We love to do something different and showcase the fact that we have everything that you need for your home but with a twist.
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