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Culture cogs behind Global Village

Dubai - From Italy to the Czech Republic and then to Dubai, master embroider Ilenia represents the cultural diversity of the UAE

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Hunkered down in her two metre by three metre stand, 27-year-old Ilenia initially greets me by asking my name.
As I respond with "Kelly", she grabs a piece of paper, places it under a small, vintage sewing machine and begins stitching on it vigorously.
Within 30 seconds, and before barely four words are exchanged between us, she hands me a personalised stitched message and says: "That's how I draw my customers in."
And drawn in I am.
Italian-born Ilenia is impressive in her craft. Locally known as 'ricamo Fiorentino' - which translates to 'stitching from Florence' in English - she says it's typical of the work of Toscana, a small region in Italy.
But our location is more than 6,000km from the origins of 'ricamo Fiorentino'.
I meet with Ilenia at the Italy pavilion of Global Village, or the "Italy of the Middle East", as she calls it.
As Global Village celebrates its 20th edition under the theme "20 seasons of celebrations", Ilenia perfectly encapsulates the message of this year's theme: cultural diversity.
She is an Italian craftswoman who moved to Dubai from the Czech Republic to showcase her intricate stitching to an audience from more than 200 nationalities.
"I've worked in many places, but Global Village is by far the most diverse. Each day I speak to people from about 10 different countries."
Ilenia landed in Dubai on November 23 last year. It was her first time in the country, and the region, but just five days later, on November 28, she became part of the Global Village family, joining the 65 participating countries, 3,500 shops, and 170 kiosks that make it one of the world's leading cultural entertainment destinations.
Though fresh to Dubai, Ilenia greets passersby with sounds of "Assalamu alaikum" and "kaifa halik" (how are you).
And her Arabic goes far beyond just the spoken word.
"I'm learning the language because many of my customers are Arab. I've mastered the alphabet so I can write now, too. When people write down names they want me to stitch, it makes sense to me now. It no longer looks like a pattern."
Working from 4pm till 12am each day, Ilenia says there is rarely ever a quiet period for her as she stitches up to 100 customised designs each day.Though names are the most popular request, she is often asked to do drawings too, from favourite animals to loveable cartoon characters.
And she can just about customise anything you want, she says.
"I do baby bibs, towels, blankets, whatever the people want."
She charges Dh45 for a small bib, and the rates go up to Dh130 which includes customised stitching.
To watch Ilenia in action is fascinating. Her quick and polished work is proof that she has well and truly mastered her craft, and when asked how long she has been stitching for, the response is unexpected.
"I started three years ago."
Describing herself as a "creative type", Ilenia says it was her father who taught her her first stitch.
"He used to be a chef but he changed jobs a lot. He is like me, very creative. Or maybe I should say I am like him. He was my teacher."
To truly become a master at stitch work, Ilenia says she first had to memorise the feel of each letter of the alphabet as it is all "100 per cent hand work".

What is 'ricamo Fiorentino'? It means 'stitching from Florence'. It is a type of needlepoint embroidery comprising upright flat stitches laid in a mathematical pattern to create motifs3.6mpeople

And after training for about one year to learn calligraphy, it was clear from the offset she was a natural at it.
To watch her now, many would believe she has been practicing the art since childhood.
With her old sewing maching in tow, she is able to stitch her designs just as quick as anyone with a pen could write, and the trick is "free movement".
"I use the handle below my sewing machine to direct me, and I use the foot peddle for speed. It's like riding a bike or driving a car."
For Ilenia, Global Village has allowed her to showcase her home-inspired craft to the millions of visitors that have come through its gates - which up to the end of January this year, was 3.6 million people.
Rather than strangers simply selling home-grown or crafted goods to passersby, she says Global Village is all about different cultures meeting one another.
"I am an Italian who has travelled from the Czech Republic to the Middle East to mix with people I would rarely get the chance to meet in others countries. That's the beauty of 20 seasons of celebrations."
kelly@khaleejtimes.com