Latest news with #Rami Al Ali
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Look: Dubai-based designer Rami Al Ali first Syrian invited to Paris Haute Couture Week
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. 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. 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.
The National
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
'Success is a form of resistance': Rami Al Ali makes triumphant haute couture debut in Paris
'Success is a form of resistance,' noted Rami Al Ali in a statement ahead of his show, where he became the first Syrian designer to join the prestigious ranks of haute couture. For his debut on July 10 in Paris – having shown off-schedule for a decade – Al Ali presented Guardians of Light, conceived as an homage to the precious handicrafts of his Syrian homeland, which had been endangered and almost forgotten during the country's long civil war. Drawing on the beauty of courtyards in private Ottoman-era homes, the painted panels of Al Azem Palace, the dramatic splendour of Jami Al Darwishiyya and Khan As'ad Pasha, and the hypnotic rhythm of geometric mosque tiles, Al Ali distilled it all into a parade of looks united in an airy lightness. In a discreet palette of cream, bisque, oat, crepe pink, powder blue, ash, dove grey, muted gold, black and white, Al Ali offered a plisse blue dress etched with mashrabiya patterns. The motif appeared again on a bone dress with a skirt that stood out like a bell; scattered in bronze around a long gold sheath; and as a gown in bone with the design built in three dimensions across the surface. Elsewhere, a crisp patterning of blue lines traced from a halterneck fell to the floor, in geometric contrast to the flowing, plisse skirt, while two looks seemed to be woven from an intricate matrix of golden threads, echoing traditional Aghabani embroidery. This plaiting was also used to create a corset that floated over a gossamer chiffon gown. Between these, Al Ali delivered the sculptural forms he's known for: a stiff ruff rippling from shoulder to floor, beaded inside and out; cream folds that wrapped the body and spilled into kick-flare skirts like reams of paper; and high arcs framing the face and arms. Softer iterations appeared as long origami folds in eau de nil that swept the floor, and light latte pleats that swayed with each step. In a statement to the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode ahead of the show, Al Ali explained why reworking Syrian heritage was important for him. 'Every step forward, especially when you're coming from a place that's underrepresented or misunderstood, is an act of quiet defiance,' he said. With fitted silhouettes that offered sleek lines and restrained refinement, Al Ali proved why he deserves to be among the ranks of haute couture. It is the highest stage a dressmaker can aspire to, and a title bestowed on only a select few. Having established his brand in Dubai in 2001, and showing his creations alongside the official haute couture week in Paris for 10 years, Al Ali has been quietly honing his skill to arrive at this point. Devotees of his work will recognise his touches in this collection, from his whisper-light touch of placing a fold here, and deftly turning down a shoulder strap there. To the rest of the world, this show will announce the arrival of a talent worthy of their attention. With the restraint and elegance he has made his own, Al Ali offered propositions that are refined, poised and achingly beautiful. Al Ali has staked his claim on the international stage, with a collection filled with remarkable savoir-faire. A decade in the making, it has been well worth the wait.
