The Relevance of Middle Eastern Design for the Global Fashion Scene
By Rebecca Eneyni
The Middle East is often imagined as an archaic world, ensnared in tradition by staunch and conservative authoritarian leaders. Suffocated by the grip of religious zealot, innovation, creativity, and provocateur (the defining characteristics of the modern global fashion landscape) fall by the wayside.
This characterization is dreadfully incorrect.
For years, the Middle East has boasted a number of influential and acclaimed designers such as Elie Saab, Reem Acra, and Zuhair Murad whose pieces have been worn by popular icons from Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, and Priyanka Chopra to Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga.[1] While these three tycoons in the industry have become household names in the region, they receive far less attention from Western nations with significant clout in the fashion industry. Even more so, for those that know of this critical triplet, few are able to identify any up-and-coming Arab designers, reflecting the paltry coverage of Middle Eastern fashion.
While token articles have featured Middle Eastern designers by renowned fashion magazines such as the main-channels of Vogue or Harper's Bazaar, the majority of coverage is relegated to the regional branches (Vogue Arabia or Harper’s Bazaar Arabia) or separate websites altogether (scenearabia.org). Despite the fact that Arab designers have permeated the highest seats of popular influence in the West- with rising Lebanese designer Lama Jouni showcased on Rihanna and Bella Hadid, as well as partnering with German brand Puma [2] - they have not yet achieved the coverage of European bastions such as Versace, Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton or other household names.
In recent years, the push for further cross-cultural representation in all industries has resulted in greater inclusion of MENA+ brands, but with little quantifiable gains. This is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of Middle Eastern culture that bleeds into other realms as well. In a recent decade in which fashion has become increasingly provocative, androgynous and disruptive, the Middle East has been mistakenly belittled as too conservative to sate global appetites for a fresh femininity. In reality, though, Arab designers (from local grassroots to the couture of Zuhair Murad) have been reconciling Middle Eastern heritage with a new gender fluidity—infusing designs with a modern twist.
Even more so, many of these designs deliver striking commentaries on Middle Eastern politics, proving to be far less entrenched in tradition than expected. Beirut-born Racil Chalhoub, whose brand produces chic, tailored tuxedo suits, comments that “there is a certain energy that comes from the chaos of the region, which is then translated into beautiful designs with a sensitive, elevated touch.”[3] SemSem incorporates regional motifs such as the lotus flower into its creations, while Arwa Al Banawi nods to Saudi heritage in her streetwear designs. ADISH is an Israeli brand that incorporates Palestinian original embroidery, to “serve as a statement for the indignation of the current social climate in the Middle East.” [4]
As in the rest of the world, the Middle East has been reinventing silhouettes, textures, cuts and motifs that fuse cultural artifacts with contemporary cravings for the provocative. These intoxicating designs disrupt traditional binaries of femininity and masculinity, accessibility and luxury, and elegance and the erotic. MENA+ designers deserve to reach the global audience their European counterparts have had access to for years, without being tokenized in Arabia channels.
References
[1] The Most Iconic Oscars Red Carpet Dressed by Arab Designers, Vogue Arabia.
[2] Meet the Young Arab Designers Who Are Changing Middle Eastern Fashion, Vogue Arabia.
[3] Ibid.
[4] ADISH.