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Saudi Arabian designer Lamia Alsudairi made a strong statement about Arabian creativity with her impressive runway debut in the final show on day one of DFW. The young UK-based designer surprised the audience with a chic couture collection that beautifully combined international trends with her Bedouin heritage.
Titled "Ink Tent”, the autumn-winter 2008 collection from her label Asudari featured original prints based on the headscarves worn by Bedouin men, traditional Arabian jewellery and Arabian architecture. Lamia's autumnal palette reflected the golden desert sand and her innovative silhouettes demonstrated her confidence to experiment with cut and construction.
The designer presented many different and interesting looks. Long checked cardigans were worn over cotton Patiala trousers, a sleeveless silk jersey Bedouin jewel vest was coupled with desert trousers covered with sequins to create a sand dunes-like pattern and a Pompadour jacket in an olive floral print was coupled with jewel print leggings.
The dresses ranged from a Swarovski crystal-studded silk georgette Charleston dress and a draped, pleated and layered gown inspired by Greta Garbo to Lamia's signature serpent dress with over 100 panels creating the effect of scales.
Skilled craftswoman
The most outstanding feature of Lamia's collection was her opulent winter jackets. These included a blanket Arabian knit jacket that combined leather and knitwear with an oversized scarf and her extravagant foshay coat with textured panels in dark brown and beige.
Lamia moved to the UK when she was nine years old and always wanted to be a fashion designer. She studied theatre and costume design at the American University of Cairo before graduating from Central Saint Martins, London with specialisation in fashion print. She also studied pattern cutting at the London College of Fashion and trained with Alexander McQueen before launching her label Asudari, four seasons ago.
Ink tents
"I have never lived in Saudi Arabia but the Bedouin culture is in my blood and I am proud of my heritage. My parents have made sure I know and understand my culture and values and that will always be reflected in my creations. Besides prints inspired by the shmagh that Bedouin men wear around their heads, I have also used a lot of velvet because it was often worn by Bedouin women,” said Lamia. "I am here at DFW because I wanted to present my first runway show in a place that is close to my roots,” she added.
Explaining the title of her collection, Lamia said that to her ink represents poetry, literature and creativity and hence she chose the name Ink Tent to suggest a Bedouin tent full of creativity. Based on the themes of her Western outfits, the young designer also creates a line of abayas every season.
"I love wearing abayas when I go to Saudi Arabia. In my collections I experiment with cuts, shapes and texturing to create jacket-like silhouettes that are easier to wear and more contemporary,” said Lamia.
"My work has been well accepted in the West because people respect the fact that I am trying to move forward and contemporise traditions. My message to other young designers in the region is to take inspiration from different cultures and not be afraid to experiment,” she added.
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