London's InterContinental Hotel has just hosted Europe's first ever all-Arab fashion event. The one-day showcase, held on Monday in partnership with the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, brought together some of the region's most distinguished designers to showcase what Middle Eastern style is all about.
Aiming to highlight Arab designers in the UK and to improve regional commercial links, the Arabian Fashion World event marked the beginning of an ambitious new project. "The Arabian fashion industry is a fast-emerging global business with highly talented designers taking to the stage," said Dr Afnan al Shuaiby, the secretary general and chief executive of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce. "This is an exciting opportunity for all involved."
With an audience of royalty and ambassadors, as well as a show produced by the European fashionista Lesley Goring, it was destined to be a glamorous event. An announcement that next year's Arabian Fashion World would include a three-day London event and an evening in Paris was met with rapturous applause. Expectation was high and the excitement was tangible; crowds chatted about up-and-coming designers and debated the hits and misses of recent fashion weeks. This was a fashion-conscious but not slavishly modish gathering, and attendees weren't going to be impressed by the unimpressive.
Refreshingly, organisers didn't treat the Arab world in one-dimensional terms, but instead selected five key designers that reflected the diversity and colour of the region. Included were Amina al Jassim from Saudi Arabia, Abed Mahfouz from Lebanon, the Emirati designer and the former winner of the Emerging Talent Competition at Dubai Fashion Week, Rabia Z, the Moroccan Samira Haddouchi and the British-Jordanian Omar Kashoura, who was last year's winner of the prestigious Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award as well as the former recipient of Best International Menswear Designer at New York's Gen Art Style awards. The show was careful not to pitch its contributors as a definitive catalogue of Arabian style, but rather an interesting taste of what the region has to offer.
The diversity of the designers' collections was reflected in the reactions of the audience. Kashoura's distinctly "London" menswear pieces left the lady to my left distinctly underwhelmed, while a short distance away, a table of young men were visibly enthused by Kashoura's clever take on classic British dressing. Combining pink brogueing and lamb's fur to adorn a denim-effect silk-wool jacket and using silver lurex yarn to produce a country-collared coat and high-waisted trousers were particular highlights. For the underwhelmed woman, the quirky details and English high society tailoring were irrelevant to Arab fashion; for the young men, the boldness of the designs and combined with the designer's dual heritage represented the Arab world's progressive modernity.
"I was a bit nervous before the event," says Kashoura. "All of the designers are from the Middle East and their collections are very eastern in inspiration. But I am straddling both worlds. My choice of fabric and colour stems from my roots but my training at the London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins shows in my contemporary designs. I attempt to fuse elements of my heritage, including intricate and elegant detailing with British gentlemen's silhouettes to produce pieces that are masculine and unique.
"For me to present in London as part of this project is fantastic. London Fashion Week is very much dominated by womenswear designers, so for me the event is a real opportunity. The Middle East is hungry for fashion. There has been so much interest in this project; so many people wanted to be a part of it. I understand what young Arab guys like. My clothes are classic, tailored, but fresh; grown-up without seeming old."
Rabia Z's conservative chic blended modesty with modernity and focused on a palette of ink, indigo, dark fuchsia and slate grey. Her collections included soft fabrics that folded into shaila and patterned hijabs. Elsewhere, Haddouchi showcased delicately embroidered Moroccan caftans while al Jassim blended luxurious fabrics to create bold but wearable looks. In addition to the featured designers, representatives from other Arabian brands were present. Guests were invited to meet with about 20 fashion-related companies, such as the Oman-based Jizdaani, which makes handbags and small leather goods adorned with Omani silver.
For al Jassim, London was the ideal location to launch a project celebrating the fusion of East and West. "London is a metropolitan city," she said. "You can experience the whole world here. There is also a strong Muslim contingent. We want to show this wide audience that Arabs follow fashion, while transmitting something of our own culture through our designs." In recent years, Arabian designers have experienced increasing success on a global scale. Front-runners like the Lebanese designer Elie Saab have been followed by the likes of Qasimi, a luxury brand that stole the show at this year's London Fashion Week.
But not everyone has been so lucky. Though worn by celebrities including Susan Sarandon and the Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe, Haddouchi is little known in the UK. Arabian Fashion World will continue to enable such designers to gain recognition. "It is important for us to reach western consumers," she says. "We want to crack this market." The designer Abed Mahfouz agrees. The event has already given him more exposure while potentially acting as a springboard for future UK projects. "Although I have shown in Rome many times, this is my London debut," he says. "There are lots of Arab people in the UK and my clothes would be popular here."
For Rabia Z, the significance of the event was clear. "I am excited about Arabian Fashion World," she says. "It is commendable to have a platform like this for the Arab designers. I have a certain look and I stay true to that look no matter what part of the world I am in. I design for women like myself who like to dress within the realms of modesty. My designs aren't always so welcome. Here was a platform that encouraged me and said keep your designs as they are. I didn't need to edit. I was thrilled about that. This is only the launch of Arabian Fashion World, but it's certainly a good start in terms of giving access, support and exposure to designers."
