LFW SS19 – Stories from Arabia

by Anissa Belmiloud

Sunday evening, I had the chance to attend the Stories from Arabia fashion show which presented collections from 9 designers in the Arab world.

The show was a really good mixture of traditional and western fashion. Being from North Africa myself, it was really nice to see part of my culture on a catwalk. The different collections all had something glamourous that reflects the Arab woman who loves dressing up for big events.

LAKKIOUI (Morocco/Spain)

The opening designer of the show, Lakkioui, set the tone with a feminine and sensual collection playing with tulle, transparency, gold, embroidery and glitter. My favourite piece was probably this gorgeous see-through golden dress with glittery roses.

HESSA AL HEMEL (Kuwait)

Next, we had Hessa Al Hemel, whose collection was inspired by the architecture of Arabic houses and their curved doors. Every garment was ornamented with a beautiful Arabic embroidery translated as “Behind every door is love”. The beautiful colour palette made of orange, fuchsia and beige reminds me of a sunset. I loved the final look with the mint trousers and gorgeous coral cape.

ABEER COUTURE (Kuwait)

Abeer Couture explored different silhouettes with the shapes of the dresses. All really feminine and elegant they played with transparency and silver embellishment. My favourite piece of this collection, which is also my favourite of this whole show, was that black asymmetric bustier dress with a longer skirt at the back. I loved the shape and the silver 3D embroidery all around the bustier.”

FARFALLA MILANO (Egypt/Italy)

Farfalla’s collection was inspired by the butterfly. The Abayas (traditional Arabic over-garment) in handmade silk brings elegance to the silhouettes, everything was really flowy and colourful which changes from the traditional Abaya which is generally black. Special mention for the designer’s appearance which was really endearing, you could tell he was more than happy to show his first collection during the LFW as he was jumping and dancing on the catwalk blowing kisses.” 

ATELIER ZUHRA (UAE)

Atelier Zuhra with their Swan Lake collection was everyone’s favourite – I could hear wows and exclamations when the first look came out. The collection looked straight out of a fairytale with the lace, tulle and mosaics enhanced by the pure white. My favourite piece was that bridal dress where you could subtly see the shape of the legs with the almost sheer skirt. The design on the skirt is really stunning.”

ART NOUVEAU (Jordan)

Art Nouveau by Fedaa Assaf was inspired by traditional colourful embroidery technique. The embroidery reminds me of the embroideries in traditional Berber clothing. The collection was really simple and elegant with the touch of color brought by the embroidery. A good mix between traditional and modern. I really liked this patchwork dress, topped with the beautiful detailed embroidery.

SONIA GUERRAOUI (Morocco)

Continuing with the traditional, Sonia Guerraoui brought back the traditional Caftan with a hint of modern. Keeping them really elegant and sensual with the profound colour and drapery. The noble fabrics such as silk and velvet made the collection luxurious reminding of the Sultans. My favourite was the first look with the cape over the caftan, it gave the look even more elegance.

SWAF DESIGN (Saudi Arabia)

Next, Swaf Design played with a combination of textures and colours with leather and cashmere. The collection is elegant and simple, pieces like the shiny copper skirt, the mate warm brown dress and the loose fishnet cardigan could very well be added to every wardrobe. I loved the look with the brown suede top/cape and skirt with the black leather belts details.

1Mor (Kuwait/Italy)

Lastly, we had 1Mor (pun intended?). Inspired by the Peacock, the collection displayed glamorous and elegant pieces embroidered with stones and metal. The details of the embroidery were really stunning and contrasted really well on the black fabric. Touches of emerald green brings to mind the colourful peacock. My favourite was the look with the black embroidered coat with the emerald green silk dress, the colours worked really great together. 

As you can see this show was really rich in creativity and diversity. It was really nice to see all those different collections that each displayed in their own way a glamorous mix of traditional and western fashion.

Anissa is an LCS student doing the 6 Month Fashion and Personal Styling Diploma. You can follow her on Instagram at @anissaxbmd