Innovation continues to define OHLALA’s fashion landscape. This month, we spoke to the sister duo, Dalal and Fatema Alkhaja of Touchless, whose 3D-printed bags have taken them from a home experiment in Bahrain to international fashion platforms.
OHLALA – How did Touchless begin and what first drew you both to experimenting with 3D printing?
Dalal and Fatema Alkhaja – Touchless began during the pandemic when everything slowed down and we finally had the space to explore something new as a family. Our father introduced us to 3D printing at home and it didn’t feel intimidating – it felt like a challenge we wanted to understand. We experimented with small functional items first, and that curiosity naturally grew into a desire to create something more meaningful. That urge is what shaped us as a family long before the brand existed. It’s what pushed us from simple tools into a full design practice.
OHLALA – With your different backgrounds, how do each of you contribute to the brand’s creative and business decisions?
Dalal – Fatema has a finance background and I am an interior architect. People assume that because of my speciality, I handle most of the creative decisions, but that’s actually Fatema. Our roles are split in a very natural way. We both work on strategy because the brand is built on our passions and we both contribute to the creative direction. Fatema is a true fashion enthusiast. She cares deeply about how a piece feels in real life, how functional it is and whether it resonates with the person carrying it. I focus more on implementing structure, operations, planning and ensuring creative ideas become a real product. The balance works for us.
OHLALA – Your father plays a key role in production. What has it been like building a family-run brand together?
Dalal and Fatema – It’s been grounding. Our father taught us how to use the machines and how to understand the material properly. Working as a family means everything is hands-on – the problem-solving, the decision-making, the late nights. There’s a sense of accountability because we’re building something that represents all of us. It’s not always smooth, but it’s very real and it keeps us connected to why we started.
“We experimented with small functional items first and that curiosity naturally grew into wanting to create something more meaningful.”
– Dalal and Fatema Alkhaja
OHLALA – The Prism bag was your starting point. What inspired that first design and how did you realise 3D printing could move from functional tools into a full fashion concept?
Dalal and Fatema – The first spark actually came from our mother. She came home from a hospital appointment and casually asked if we could print something for her that she could wash easily and take with her. We treated it like a challenge: could we design something beautiful to replace her everyday bag that was also functional enough for medical appointments? That became the starting point. The moment we held the first version, we understood that 3D-printed pieces didn’t have to look or behave like ‘tech’. They could be soft in form, lightweight and wearable, and that realisation opened the door to building a complete fashion concept.
OHLALA – How do you incorporate sustainability into your products?
Dalal and Fatema – Our process is built around reducing waste. We print on demand, recycle our misprints and repurpose our materials. Because we print locally and in-house, we avoid excess production and keep our footprint tight. Sustainability for us is about being intentional, not about claiming perfection.
OHLALA – The brand has already travelled from Bahrain to platforms like Paris Fashion Week and Selfridges. How did this international exposure happen?
Dalal and Fatema – It happened through people connecting with the designs before they connected with the brand. The bags caught attention because they looked different, sparking conversations among editors, buyers and creatives who were curious about how they were made. A lot of opportunities came from people believing in us early on and sharing our work in the right rooms. It grew very organically.
OHLALA – Your bags are known for being playful, artistic and experimental. What sparks your ideas for new textures and colour palettes?
Dalal and Fatema – We’re inspired by the idea of making something that feels almost impossible – shapes that look frozen in time, textures that mimic the flow of fabric even though they’re printed layer by layer. Our brother, who is an architect, works closely with us on these forms and he sees each one as a small architectural study. That perspective pushes us to treat each bag like a structural piece, not just an accessory.
OHLALA – Congratulations on winning the Fashion Trust Arabia Fashion Tech Award in 2025. What does this recognition mean to you both personally and professionally?
Dalal and Fatema – It means a lot. Personally, it feels like a moment we’ll always remember because it validated years of work we’ve done as a family. Professionally, it pushed us to believe even more in the role 3D printing can play in fashion. It’s given us confidence, visibility and the motivation to keep growing the brand in a way that feels true to our values.