Collections
ACID by AMIR AL KASM
Spurred by a personal journey of loss, grief and acceptance, this collection is a deeply emotional one. Throughout the design process, Amir confronted his feelings by focusing on them closely, as though they were pixels. While exploring these pixels and dealing with his own emotional struggle, Amir became overwhelmed - something that is translated through his work in moody tones, distorted fabrics and dramatic draping.
Featuring flowing silhouettes, defined waists and exaggerated shoulders, the pieces that make up the Acid collection enhance the feminine form. Using hand-painted fabric, the designer began his process by respecting basic shapes and cuts before manipulating and distorting them.
With a dark color palette of black, grey, dark blue and petroleum hues, this collection conveys a sense of detachment - an aspect echoed in hand-distorted materials. Hope and acceptance are portrayed by pops of red, yellow and pink, and these tones also represent the memories and love shared with his late brother.
AHMAD ABDULLATIF
Hafla
A celebration of joy, this collection is inspired by the famous 70’s club, Studio 54. Contemporary forms and silhouettes engage with the era’s flamboyant motifs, such as pop fuchsia, zebra print, black lace and striped fabrics. Oversized jackets, fitted dresses, micro-skirts, and beaded pieces in bold and lively colors and textures create standout ready to wear pieces, sassy and empowering.
AHMAD ABDULLATIF
Façade
This collection explores the challenges that face personal individuation, such as societal expectations and social media. The collection highlights how social media has led to a distorted sense of reality, and created an unhealthy obsession in rising generations.
With hard hitting prints and details in the form of faces, a dynamic, contemporary feel emerges from this collection. Experimenting with taffeta, chiffon, denim, poplin and organza, the eccentric designs include oversized silhouettes, drawstring details, knife pleats and safari pockets. The color palette bears bursts of purple, yellow and orange for a determined, assertive aesthetic. These bold hues each have a meaning of their own, representing individuality, hope and danger respectively.
In collaboration with jewelry designer Rola Mezher, Ahmad Abdullatif has also created an accessory line of rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more using Plexiglass in bright, jewel tones such as yellow, orange, purple, blue and black.
AHMAD ABDULLATIF
Umoja
Umoja is a movement. A man-free African village run exclusively by women who chose to take charge of their own destiny and retaliate against the superiority of men who failed to protect them. This collection sheds light on this innovative tribe and is a reflection of their bold sense of individuality and independence. In a sense of character, these tribal women achieved self-liberation thus comparing to the modernity of urban women. ‘Umoja’ - the collection- is an intertwining of modern silhouettes and fabrics and tribal colors and prints; sunny yellow, rich violet, and scorching red reminiscent of elements under the African sun are woven together alongside pieces of busy sequins symbolizing the flashy city life of today’s woman. All in all, the collection is a salute of powerful women in all settings who pick their battles every single day, who choose to embrace the rules whenever they seem fit and retaliate when even an inch of their freedom is compromised by any outsider.
