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Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
How Paris Couture Week 2025 embraced inclusivity
In the aftermath of recent fashion missteps — most notably Prada's Spring/Summer 2026 presentation, which faced widespread criticism for its uncredited appropriation of traditional Kolhapuri sandals — and in the shadow of mounting global economic tensions aggravated by the fashion tariff wars, Paris Haute Couture Week returned this July under a cloud of heightened scrutiny. The question facing the industry was clear: would couture, the most elevated form of garment-making in the world, remain cloistered in its familiar sanctuaries of French and Italian elitism, or would it begin to expand its frame to accommodate the new, the regional, and the previously peripheral? The answer, while subtle, was unmistakable. This season's collections did not storm the gates of tradition with grand proclamations or flashy stunts; rather, they arrived with quiet confidence, the sort that comes not from spectacle but from clarity of vision. Among the legacy maisons — Dior with its Grecian silhouettes and feminist undertones, Schiaparelli with its surrealist motifs, and Chanel with its predictably polished restraint — it was the presence of regional designers from the Middle East and South Asia that lent the week a sense of momentum and emotional gravity. Marking what many have called a historic debut, Syrian-born, Dubai-based designer Rami Al Ali presented on the official Fédération de la Haute Couture calendar for the very first time, a recognition long overdue given his two-decade-long contribution to couture from the region. His Fall/Winter 2025 collection, showcased in an understated Parisian salon near Place Vendôme, was a tribute not only to refined construction and considered embellishment, but also to the architectural elegance of the Arab world — as former editor-in-chief of Madame Arabia Jessica Michault says: 'Perhaps this is because Syria is finally seeing the light after a long-wished regime change, or maybe it's just a designer creating from a place of contentment after finally getting the recognition he deserves from his peers.' Gowns flowed with mathematical pleating and hand-embroidered bodices that called to mind the geometry of Islamic tilework, rendered in a palette of deep navy, desert rose, and alabaster. The standout piece — a midnight blue gown crowned with a sculptural cape — was as much a testament to technical mastery as it was a gesture of regional pride. From Riyadh, Mohammed Ashi of Ashi Studio offered a body of work that continued his signature sculptural language, this time deepening it with a sense of serene monumentality. His collection, predominantly in hues of ivory and bone, presented gowns that appeared almost as if carved from alabaster, with austere silhouettes that revealed their complexity only upon closer inspection. Drawing inspiration from artists like Louise Bourgeois — whose fabric works echo mended, distressed bodies — Ashi's collection wove in layers of story: a conversation around skin, transparency, and emotional depth, positioned between exoticism and classicism, like a modern cabinet of curiosities. In a more traditionally romantic vein, Lebanon's enduring couture voices, Georges Hobeika and Zuhair Murad, returned with collections that felt less like red-carpet fare and more like cultural introspections. Hobeika's use of blush-toned tulle and layered organza, embellished with crystalised cable embroidery, echoed the folklore of Levantine femininity, while Murad's gowns, in shades of Tyrian purple and soft jade, retained their trademark glamour but were elevated by a restraint in silhouette and precision in surface detailing. One could not help but admire a Murad creation that featured a sheer corseted bodice paired with a waterfall of metallic-threaded silk — a piece that balanced opulence with an air of mythology. Quietly powerful Rahul Mishra, who has consistently carved a niche for his narrative-led couture, turned to Sufism for inspiration this season. His garments, woven with hand-embroidered medallions and nature motifs, unfolded like meditative chants — quietly powerful and rich in subtext. One robe-like dress, composed of hundreds of hours of handwork and bearing the gentle shimmer of moonlight grey, embodied this spirit with haunting beauty. Feedback from industry insiders was notably encouraging. Natalie Kingham, former fashion and buying director at MatchesFashion, commented on social media that this season, 'Rami's debut was an affirmation that haute couture can embrace geographies beyond Paris and Milan without compromise.' Meanwhile, fashion influencers attending from London, noted in a Threads post that 'it was the quieter presentations — Rahul Mishra and Schipparelli's, in particular — that held the room in a way that no gimmick could'. As Paris Couture Week 2025 drew to a close, it wasn't rupture or reinvention that defined the mood, but something far more enduring: relevance redefined. The week didn't rewrite the couture rulebook, but it did expand the margins, allowing new voices to shape the narrative without asking for permission. If Paris has long been the cathedral of couture, then this season proved the echo now travels well beyond its gilded halls. From Beirut and Mumbai to Riyadh and Delhi, the rhythm of haute couture feels fuller, deeper, and — at last — collectively authored.
CairoScene
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
The Runway Moments That Shaped Arab Fashion's Global Rise
From the shimmering silks of Elie Saab to Zuhair Murad's dazzling beadwork, here are some of the most defining runway moments by Arab designers. In July 2025, Rami Al Ali became the first Syrian designer to officially present a collection at Paris Haute Couture Week. His show, Guardian of Light, featured long pleated dresses in pastel tones, finished with embroidery and embellishments that reflected both personal vision and national narrative. It was a debut shaped by precision, not theatrics — and a first that placed Syria on the official haute couture calendar. Earlier, in 2024, Elie Saab staged 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab in Riyadh, marking his 45th anniversary with over 300 looks styled by Carine Roitfeld. The show included live performances and a moment of fashion déjà vu: Halle Berry in the same Saab gown she wore to the 2002 Oscars. Gulf-based Ashi Studio, meanwhile, joined the official Paris Haute Couture calendar in 2023 — the first label from the region to do so. These runway moments span nearly two decades, each distinct in context and form. From Tony Ward's steel masks to Kaf by Kaf's robot model and Okhtein's alabaster-inspired bustier for Balmain, they register a varied timeline of appearances across global stages. What connects them is not a single aesthetic or movement, but their role in shaping how and where Arab designers are seen. Rami Al Ali | Paris Haute Couture Week, 2025 Syrian designer Rami Al Ali became the first from his country to officially present at Paris Haute Couture Week with his Fall/Winter 2025–2026 collection, Guardian of Light. The show blended delicate pleats, soft pastels, and intricate embroidery, drawing from themes of cultural continuity and cautious optimism. His debut reflected both technical mastery and a personal lens on Syria's evolving identity. Tony Ward | Paris Haute Couture Week, 2025 Tony Ward's Fall/Winter 2025–2026 show was anchored in concept: steel masks, masquerade references, and hours of embroidery that challenged conventional show formats. With pieces requiring up to 700 hours of handwork, the show emphasized the atelier's technical capacity while playing with theatrical form. Kaf by Kaf | Riyadh Fashion Week, 2025 The Saudi label's Spring/Summer 2025 collection included a first-of-its-kind robot model on the runway. Conceptual and experimental, the collection questioned aesthetics and beauty standards in the context of evolving technology—blurring fashion and futurism. Elie Saab | '1001 Seasons of Elie Saab,' Riyadh, 2024 Held in a purpose-built venue in Riyadh, this anniversary show marked 45 years of Elie Saab's design career. Over 300 looks styled by Carine Roitfeld celebrated the designer's enduring impact. The event also revisited a defining pop culture moment: Halle Berry wore a recreation of the gown she debuted at the 2002 Oscars, the first time Saab's work appeared on that stage. Ashi Studio | Paris Haute Couture Week, 2023 With a background in architecture, Ashi Studio became the first Gulf-based label to present at Paris Haute Couture Week. The brand's sculptural approach offered a new aesthetic language within the couture space—rooted in the Gulf, but speaking to broader conversations about form and fashion. Okhtein x Balmain | Paris Fashion Week, 2022 While Okhtein hasn't yet staged a solo runway presentation, its collaboration with Balmain for SS23 marked a notable moment. The Egyptian brand's alabaster-inspired bustier, part of Olivier Rousteing's collection, offered a rare instance of Egyptian craft entering the high-fashion circuit through a global platform. Rami Kadi | Paris Haute Couture Week, 2019 Inspired by post-war Beirut, Kadi's Mosaic of Dreams reinterpreted themes of destruction and regrowth. The use of laser-cut fabrics and iridescent embroidery demonstrated a commitment to innovation, making it one of his most technically ambitious collections. Georges Hobeika | Paris Fashion Week, 2018 A collection inspired by ancient Greece, Hobeika's work featured soft metallics, classical drapery, and mythological references. His steady presence in Paris continued a legacy of Lebanese designers participating in global fashion weeks with an emphasis on storytelling through form. Temraza | London Fashion Week, 2013 Egyptian designer Farida Temraz's showing in London offered early international visibility for Egyptian couture. Her presence—and subsequent win at Paris Fashion Week in 2014—was among the first for Egyptian fashion on these platforms, helping establish pathways for designers from the region. Abed Mahfouz | Rome Haute Couture Week, 2012 This collection, featuring iridescent pastels and classic silhouettes, reinforced Mahfouz's place in the landscape of Lebanese couture. By participating consistently in European shows, he helped anchor Middle Eastern couture within the broader dialogue of international fashion. Rami Kashou | Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, 2008 As a finalist on Project Runway Season 4, Palestinian-American designer Rami Kashou brought his work to New York Fashion Week. His collection, presented during the show's finale, introduced mainstream audiences to Arab design, expanding visibility in American fashion media.
Kuwait Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Rami Al Ali becomes first Syrian in Paris fashion program
Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history Thursday as the first fashion designer from his country to feature in the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar in a new landmark for Arab representation in the luxury business. After years of showing his tailored evening dresses on the sidelines of Couture Week, he was invited this year by France's Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to join the program. He sent out models in long pleated dresses in pastel colors, making elaborate use of silk, rolled crepe fabric, embroidery and beading in a collection that reflected his optimism about the future of his war-ravaged country. 'We called the collection the 'Guardian of Light', and it came at a time that is very hopeful, very promising,' the 53-year-old told AFP beforehand. The fall of former Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad in December led to the rise of rebel-turned-transitional leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, which has brought a fragile end to nearly 14 years of civil war. Al Ali, who grew up in the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor before moving to Dubai, where he founded his brand more than 20 years ago, was holding back tears as he spoke to reporters afterwards. He told AFP he had been feeling 'nervous, excited, tired, happy' about his breakthrough moment, which follows years of dressing A-listers and royalty including Beyonce and Oscar winner Helen Mirren. Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Rami Al Ali Models present creations for Rami Al Ali during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection show in Paris. 'Bolder, braver' After decades of Syria being a byword for violence and political oppression, Al Ali hopes that artists will now help highlight the country's rich history and design culture. 'I think now we have much more freedom in expressing ourselves in all different aspects, political, humanitarian, creative. We have a lot to say, and definitely we are bolder, braver in the way we express it,' he said. Haute Couture Week is separate from the ready-to-wear Paris Fashion Week and is dedicated to handcrafted, one-of-a-kind creations made for red carpet events, galas, and other high-profile social occasions. The program this week included two designers from Lebanon -- Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad - as well as Cameroon's Imane Ayissi, the sole sub-Saharan African label included in the calendar. Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi's brand Ashi Studio was also in the program. Ayissi, who joined the Couture calendar in 2020 at the same time as much-hyped Indian designer Rahul Mishra, paid tribute to the increasing diversity on the Paris fashion circuit. 'It shows that things are changing, that things are moving forward,' former model Ayissi told AFP this week after his show, which made elaborate use of traditional African textiles.--AFP
Fashion Network
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Last from Paris couture: Rami Al Ali, Germanier and Jordan Roth
Paris couture will always be a study in contrasts, never more so than its final day, when Syria's Rami Al Ali, Switzerland's Germanier and New York's Jordan Roth presented wildly different visions of fashion and art. Rami Al Ali: Damascus renaissance At the risk of sounding facetious, one of the happy by-products of the end of the tragic and awful Syrian civil war is that its good citizens can finally enrich their own culture and creativity again. Case in point, Rami Al Ali, the Syrian-born and Dubai-based couturier, who presented a fresh and feminine collection that lovingly employed techniques from his own native country and echoed the unique architecture of Damascus. 'Now, after almost 15 years, we can begin again focusing on our heritage and skills, and breathe again,' commented Rami, whose title for this fall/winter 2026 collection was "Guardians of Light." A couturier clearly in full command of his atelier, Rami sent out some beautifully finished silk lattice dresses that evoked the famed Al-Azm Palace with his geometric Ottoman-era facades composed of contrasting limestone, sandstone, basalt and marble. While curvy tulip sleeve gowns recalled the arches of Damascus' legendary caravanserai Khan As'ad Pasha. And one felt a sense of the dense floral and script style of Islamic art within the capital city's great museum, Jami' al-Darwishiyya, when witnessing a splendid spring green semi-sheer dress in tulle finished with sequin motifs shimmering like Iznik tiles. These historic spaces—once alive with calligraphers, woodworkers, metal artisans, and weavers—echo once more, reinterpreted through modern couture, Rami explained in his program notes. His goal: to elevate craftsmanship beyond technique into cultural memory, working in tandem with the Syrian Crafts Council, to ensure every piece carries a traceable thread to Syria's heritage, updated for today. Composed in the hues of golden dome, alabaster, viridian and lapis, the collection received loud applause when Rami took his bow inside the rooftop show-space of the Palais de Tokyo. An elegant fashion statement, and an important reminder to those of us who have been privileged to have visited Damascus, the world's oldest capital city, blessed with a unique ensemble of antique and classic art and architecture and truly hospitable citizens. Germanier: Recycle and roll Kevin Germanier is a Swiss fine artist born in the wee village of Granges, barely a thousand people up in the Alps, whose mania for playful experimentation and full-on recycling has made him into a cult figure in fashion. His budget is modest, his ingenuity very rich. For his second couture show, and the last of the four-day Paris season, Kevin was, if anything, even crazier than ever with his maximalist mélange of polka dots, snakeskin, painted leopard, stripes, all fused into bold silhouettes in psychedelic color. Entitled "Les Joueuses," or "The Players," the collection was certainly very playful, and supported by two figures standing on the sidelines, dressed like Salvador Dali's remake of the Teletubbies. Above all, Kevin is a great image-maker, from his sequined silver surfer with dragoon boots and a mini skirt made of mini shiny balls, to his coral-hued beaded jacket with mock sunflowers, the show opened with great energy. Staged inside the IRCAM, the experimental music center, the cast walked around a massive center-point made of scores of meter-wide iridescent balloons. This set design will be entirely upcycled next season into sequins, said the environmentally admirable couturier. Before the mound, marched models in outlandishly exuberant balloon dresses, or intensely colored sculptural raffia dresses with huge trains, made in collaboration with Brazilian artist Gustavo Silvestre. The wildest looked like Carmen Miranda on acid. Mashing up upcycled leather, previously used for Eurovision, reworked and crystal-stressed to a couture level; recycled Japanese paper; thousands of beads and pearls. Models don't really wear Germanier collections, they inhabit them. Given his mind-blowing imagination, some smart producer should really hire Kevin Germanier to costume a major feature film; that way, millions of people can enjoy this young man's talent. And not just the 400 people at this show. 'We're living through heavy times, politically, socially and economically. I believe that my role is to bring light — that's what drives my work, and this collection is a direct response to that. I wanted joy on the runway,' insisted Kevin Germanier. He achieved exactly his desire. Jordan Roth: Son & lumière for a Nike from New York Jordan Roth is a Broadway producer and the rich son of a very rich property magnate, Steven Roth. Roth junior has been a noted VIP shopper in couture for many years. No Balenciaga or Schiaparelli show is complete without an appearance by Jordan in some very dramatic women's look. This season, instead of being a mere front row fixture, Roth decided to stage his own work of performance art, and being very well-off, he hired the Cour Marly inside the Louvre for the Thursday night event. In effect, it was the final happening of the Paris season, attended by scores of editors, art honchos and designers like Thom Browne and Michele Lamy. The display happened in three acts. First, a group of young men and women in the sort of gentlemanly garb Edwardian gents would wear to a science lecture – albeit in ecru – marched around an elegant, crumpled white ball gown in awe. Before, an even wider-eyed Roth, in studied incredulity, was finally dressed inside the gown, apparently inspired by an empress gown by John Galliano. A one-minute operation that lasted a good ten. Next, a teeth-grindingly slow march up past the sculpture of epic athlete Milo of Crotone and famed stone equestrian statues taken from the Chateau Marly, and placed underneath I. M. Pei's giant glass roof. Where Roth - in a chignon, makeup and three-inch nails, then lived out his fantasy as the goddess Nike, or contemporary Winged Victor of Samothrace. Thrusting into the air, 15-meter-long wings, decorated in a light display with various feathers. The original is probably the most visited museum statue in the world. Some 400 people turned up for the first of three performances. With the soundtrack pumping out lush orchestral sounds, 49-year-old Jordan, entered a huge sheath dress and ascended into the heavens, the fabric billowing into the shape of a pyramid. The ancient Romans once built Cestius a pyramid in thanks for organizing feasts and public banquets. Jordan managed it by just being born rich. Bringing us to the climax, where a light projection reproduced Pei's exterior glass Louvre pyramid and various works of art by Ruben and Mantegna on the dress, the largest ever in a Paris couture season. Entitled "Radical Acts of Unrelenting Beauty," this show was themed around the museum's current novel show, "Louvre Couture," where great works of fashion are placed beside important works of décor and art. Was this a mini fashion moment, or a self-indulgence load of twaddle by the son of the largest commercial landlord in New York, and occasional partner of Donald Trump? Judging by the modest applause at the finale, opinion was divided. But one thing is for sure, Paris will always love an American with artistic pretensions and chutzpah.
Malay Mail
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Rami Al Ali makes history as Syria's first couturier at Paris Haute Couture Week
PARIS, July 12 — Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history Thursday as the first fashion designer from his country to feature in the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar in a new landmark for Arab representation in the luxury business. After years of showing his tailored evening dresses on the sidelines of Couture Week, he was invited this year by France's Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to join the programme. He sent out models in long pleated dresses in pastel colours, making elaborate use of silk, rolled crepe fabric, embroidery and beading in a collection that reflected his optimism about the future of his war-ravaged country. 'We called the collection the 'Guardian of Light', and it came at a time that is very hopeful, very promising,' the 53-year-old told AFP beforehand. Models presenting creations for Rami Al Ali. — AFP pic The fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December led to the rise of rebel-turned-transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, which has brought a fragile end to nearly 14 years of civil war. Al Ali, who grew up in the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor before moving to Dubai, where he founded his brand more than 20 years ago, was holding back tears as he spoke to reporters afterwards. He told AFP he had been feeling 'nervous, excited, tired, happy' about his breakthrough moment, which follows years of dressing A-listers and royalty including Beyonce and Oscar winner Helen Mirren. 'Bolder, braver' After decades of Syria being a byword for violence and political oppression, Al Ali hopes that artists will now help highlight the country's rich history and design culture. 'I think now we have much more freedom in expressing ourselves in all different aspects, political, humanitarian, creative. We have a lot to say, and definitely we are bolder, braver in the way we express it,' he said. A model presents a creation for Rami Al Ali. — AFP pic Haute Couture Week is separate from the ready-to-wear Paris Fashion Week and is dedicated to handcrafted, one-of-a-kind creations made for red carpet events, galas, and other high-profile social occasions. The programme this week included two designers from Lebanon — Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad — as well as Cameroon's Imane Ayissi, the sole sub-Saharan African label included in the calendar. Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi's brand Ashi Studio was also in the programme. Ayissi, who joined the Couture calendar in 2020 at the same time as much-hyped Indian designer Rahul Mishra, paid tribute to the increasing diversity on the Paris fashion circuit. 'It shows that things are changing, that things are moving forward,' former model Ayissi told AFP this week after his show, which made elaborate use of traditional African textiles. — AFP
