At DAS, we are very proud of our logo as a strong symbol of our brand, our identity and our heritage. But many people do not know the story behind the sign, so we thought it might be interesting to share it with you.

DAS is an acronym for Daffa, Abba and Suwaieya, referring to the different styles of Abayas worn throughout the Gulf region. As a mark of conservatism, the most popular form of the Abaya is usually black, as traditionally women were not supposed to attract much attention to themselves by wearing bright colours. However today the Abaya has transformed in many ways, with the introduction of colour being one of the main developments. The Daffa is made out of wool, which was often worn in the winter, while the Suwaieya is more decorative, with golden borders. Perhaps when glancing at our logo you would initially think the triangle was just made up of random patterns, but on closer inspection anyone who can read Arabic will be able to decipher the words Daffa, Abba and Suwaieya making up the shape.

The triangle itself is symbolic of our heritage as it is traditionally one of the three most important polygons in Islamic art, along with the square and the hexagon. These three polygons can all be formed from and within the configurations of circles, and are fundamental in Islamic geometrical patterns. The equilateral triangle, just like our logo, can tessellate and duplicate as a pattern without any gaps forming between the shapes, as can the square and the hexagon. In traditional Islamic art the triangle represents human consciousness and the principle of harmony.

The DAS triangle in a geometric pattern

The triangle is a key shape in the architectural design of the Islamic Art Museum in Doha, Qatar