The Tamesis
Syrian-born Rami Al Ali, a lone fashion designer from Dubai, held his sophomore fashion week event in a discreet location on Rue du Mont Thabor. This small street, sandwiched between Rue de Rivoli and Rue Saint-Honoré, is famous for its niche jewelry boutiques and trendy restaurants.
Backstage before the show, the designer, who is celebrating his 25th anniversary in the industry this year, said his main inspiration for this season came from the 13th-century philosopher Rumi. “I’m a big fan of his work,” said the designer, explaining how the Persian poet-philosopher found harmony in fragments, a concept that became the title of the collection. “It’s about how opposites create balance and synergy,” he said.
Compared with many of its peers in the region, Al Ali’s collection stands out for its deliberate restraint. Many of the pieces feature deep ocean colors, from oyster gray to sea foam, shell pink and deep coral, worthy of a close-up. “The details may look chaotic, but they are actually organized,” admits the designer. “If you squint, you can see it.” Sequins, for example, are worked into organic patterns and are either set on the outside or slipped between layers of laser-cut organza.
The designer referenced the origins of the Persian rug, pixelating it with a light touch. “When you think about it, there’s a lot of noise, a lot of detail, but actually it’s huge,” he explains. The highlight is a dress with elegant horizontal pleats – a continuation of a technique explored in previous collections – reminiscent of mushroom gills, poetic in every step, projecting a quiet luxury. Other standout pieces included a sky-blue bustier gown with a skirt cut into gold-trimmed flakes, or a sea-foam green column with layered asymmetrical fringe. The lining of the notched coral gown shimmered like a geode. “I think it’s cooler to hide than to show,” the designer said. In an age where showing off everything is commonplace, the show offered a respite – not to mention some ladylike alternatives to the usual contenders.
