Rami Al Ali becomes first Syrian in Paris fashion programme
Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history Thursday as the first fashion designer from his country to feature in the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar in a new landmark for Arab representation in the luxury business.
After years of showing his tailored evening dresses on the sidelines of Couture Week_ he was invited this year by France's Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to join the programme.
He sent out models in long pleated dresses in pastel colours_ making elaborate use of silk_ rolled crepe fabric_ embroidery and beading in a collection that reflected his optimism about the future of his war-ravaged country.
"We called the collection the 'Guardian of Light'_ and it came at a time that is very hopeful_ very promising_" the 53-year-old told AFP beforehand.
The fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December led to the rise of rebel-turned-transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa_ which has brought a fragile end to nearly 14 years of civil war.
Al Ali_ who grew up in the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor before moving to Dubai_ where he founded his brand more than 20 years ago_ was holding back tears as he spoke to reporters afterwards.
He told AFP he had been feeling "nervous_ excited_ tired_ happy" about his breakthrough moment_ which follows years of dressing A-listers and royalty including Beyonce and Oscar winner Helen Mirren.
££ 'Bolder_ braver'
After decades of Syria being a byword for violence and political oppression_ Al Ali hopes that artists will now help highlight the country's rich history and design culture.
"I think now we have much more freedom in expressing ourselves in all different aspects_ political_ humanitarian_ creative. We have a lot to say_ and definitely we are bolder_ braver in the way we express it_" he said.
Haute Couture Week is separate from the ready-to-wear Paris Fashion Week and is dedicated to handcrafted_ one-of-a-kind creations made for red carpet events_ galas_ and other high-profile social occasions.
The programme this week included two designers from Lebanon -- Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad - as well as Cameroon's Imane Ayissi_ the sole sub-Saharan African label included in the calendar.
Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi's brand Ashi Studio was also in the programme.
Ayissi_ who joined the Couture calendar in 2020 at the same time as much-hyped Indian designer Rahul Mishra_ paid tribute to the increasing diversity on the Paris fashion circuit.
"It shows that things are changing_ that things are moving forward_" former model Ayissi told AFP this week after his show_ which made elaborate use of traditional African textiles.(AFP)