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Kuwait Times
3 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
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali makes history at Paris Couture Week
Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history on 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 said beforehand. 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 said 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. 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 said this week after his show, which made elaborate use of traditional African textiles. After studying in Damascus, Al Ali left for Dubai as a young man in search of opportunities in the fashion industry, working initially for two regional brands. He branched out on his own in 2001, building a regional fanbase for his eponymous brand from the United Arab Emirates before creating a following in Europe, including via shows in Paris outside the official Fashion Week calendar from 2012. The invitation this year from France's prestigious Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode places him in a new elite category that is increasingly diverse. 'I built from my heritage, from my background, from where I was based, also in the Middle East, in Dubai, all of those combined together created the form and the DNA of the brand,' he explained. Given an appreciation of tradition from his historian mother, Al Ali draws on the design aesthetics of Damascus, Aleppo and Palmyra in particular. Agence France-Presse
Arab Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
From Syria to Paris: Rami Al Ali's breakthrough at Paris Haute Couture Week
PARIS, July 12: Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history on Thursday as the first designer from his country to be featured in the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar — a major milestone for Arab representation in the global luxury fashion industry. After years of presenting his intricately tailored evening gowns on the fringes of Couture Week, Al Ali was formally invited by France's Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to join this year's official programme. His runway show featured models in flowing, pleated gowns in soft pastel tones, incorporating silk, rolled crepe fabric, detailed embroidery, and beading. The collection, titled Guardian of Light, symbolized Al Ali's optimism for the future of his homeland. 'This collection comes at a very hopeful, very promising time,' the 53-year-old told AFP prior to the show. The shift in Syria's political landscape — following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December and the rise of transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa — has brought a fragile end to nearly 14 years of civil conflict. Al Ali, originally from Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria and now based in Dubai, where he established his fashion label over two decades ago, appeared visibly emotional as he spoke to the press after the show. Holding back tears, he described his feelings as a mix of 'nervous, excited, tired, happy' in what marked a defining moment in his career. He has previously dressed global celebrities such as Beyoncé and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. After years of Syria being associated with war and political repression, Al Ali hopes this new chapter will allow Syrian creatives to spotlight the country's rich cultural and artistic heritage. 'We now have more freedom to express ourselves in different ways — politically, humanely, and creatively. We have a lot to say, and we are definitely bolder, braver in how we say it,' he said. Paris Haute Couture Week is distinct from Paris Fashion Week, as it is dedicated to exclusive, hand-crafted garments often designed for red carpet events, galas, and other prestigious occasions. This season's official schedule also included designers from Lebanon — Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad — as well as Cameroonian designer Imane Ayissi, the only sub-Saharan African label featured. Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi's label, Ashi Studio, was also part of the lineup. Ayissi, who debuted on the Haute Couture calendar in 2020 alongside Indian designer Rahul Mishra, welcomed the growing diversity within the Paris fashion scene. 'It shows that things are changing, that things are moving forward,' Ayissi told AFP following his show, which celebrated African culture through the use of traditional textiles.
