Rabia Z shows at Arabian Fashion Week © Mark Brumell Photography
Hijab Style
JANA KOSSAIBATI, a medical student from London, is also the editor for Hijab Style; the UK's first style guide for Muslim women. Launched in September 2007, the blog aims to address the clothing needs of women who wish to dress modestly, as well as showcasing fashion from around the Muslim world. Jana attended the inaugural Arabian Fashion World event, in London this week, to report back for VOGUE.COM.
"Monday April 6 saw the first ever all-Arab fashion event staged at the InterContinental Hotel in Park Lane. The event, which brought together royalty, fashion industry buyers and media to view collections by designers from across the Arab world, opened with a rendition of the Lawrence of Arabia theme.
The first designer to send her models down the catwalk was Rabia Z. Based in the United Arab Emirates, her clothing is geared towards Muslim women wearing the hijab. Her urban-chic collection featured plenty of jersey harem pants, ruched tunics and draped hooded tops. Samira Haddouchi, meanwhile, offered modern interpretations of the Moroccan kaftan; vivid panelled prints and velvet capes combined to give an edge to fairy-tale dresses.
Renowned Saudi designer Amina Al-Jassim proved to the audience the breadth of her talent as she showcased a variety of modern casual wear and more traditional Arab gowns. One theme that was continuous was the use of traditional Bedouin silver which adorned waist belts and caps.
Menswear was also featured on the night, courtesy of Omar Kashoura - a Jordanian designer based in the UK. This was reflected in his relaxed pieces which focused on textured fabrics and neutral tones. Finally, Lebanese designer Abed Mahfouz's red-carpet gowns provided a stunning finale to what was a vibrant and innovative show and, with next year shaping up to be a three day event, it looks set to become a firm fixture on the Fashion Week calendar.
No comments:
Post a Comment