It is one thing to love or hate a dress you see in a shop window or in an awards show, and quite another to sit and analyze the work of a fashion designer as one would a painting or a sculpture. Though it is nonnegotiable that fashion has become an art form, it's difficult to critique fashion in the same vein of fine art. Reason for this is that unlike fine art, fashion is functional. Even with couture in mind, fashion needs to be worn, serving several functions of expressing a state of mind, covering one's body (or not), being durable as well as somewhat comfortable. A young designer whose work combines all said functions and also has an unforgettable punch is Rami Al Ali, a Syrian fashion designer making waves in the global fashion scene. As a graduate of the College of Fine Arts in Damascus, Rami Al Ali got most of his experience by working in Dubai and Beirut, either with clients or on his own personal collections. Slowly evolving from creating bridal dresses to dressing up ‘blossoming socialite,' Al Ali's work has gained momentum since his emergence to the regional fashion scene in 2001 in Dubai. The latest crowning of his efforts, or in the designer's own words, “the time to take my collection to a whole new level,” was his Spring-Summer 2009 collection in Rome. Six seasons later, Al Ali has reached a global scale that few other Arab designers have managed to attain. His Autumn/Winter 2011/12 show is the subject of this review. Inspired by Rome herself, the dresses are demure creations: seductive but not provocative, formfitting but tasteful, and rich in both texture and color. Explaining his inspiration, Al Ali tells Daily News Egypt, “After careful consideration of what Rome represents to me, I decided not to adopt an accustomed theme, but devise a more contemporary collection based on past and present Rome. When I think of Rome I imagine the evenings, the way the sun sets on the city and the colors and shadows which come to life. This is Rome at its best: at dusk when the plazas and inner street cafes are bustling with people.” Some of the highlights of the collection include a copper-colored evening dress, with a heart-shaped-like strapless corsage and silk croise on the bust and hips. The main body of the corsage looks like a sculpted gold armour. It's a whole new take on the Roman goddess design — instead of going for the standard angelic, gliding look, Rami's goddess holds her own as a warrior. The dress exudes femininity but not without fearlessness. “The woman I design for is strong and confident with inner beauty as well as physical allure; She compliments her style with an amazing personality,” Rami explains. Another dress made for a woman of unparalleled elegance is a fiery red evening gown. Draped like the curtains of an opera house, the dress wraps the body then falls to the ground in layers that flow like water. The beauty is in the structure; the dress itself is quite simple in that it has no frills or details beyond the richness of the orange red fabric. In fact, most of Rami Al Ali's collection holds no complications: the pieces are all about excellent choice of fabric moulded by a hand of a skilful designer. The works are genuinely beautiful pieces of sculpture. The beauty of his dresses is in how unusually covered yet sexy they are. His signature wedding dress is Sabrina cut lace extravaganza — simple but eye-catching. With barely any skin showing but a V backline, the dress is gorgeous in its sophistication. One has gotten accustomed to dresses that are either too short, too tight, with gaps and cleavage in areas that most women are not quite ready to bear. Rami Al Ali's dresses aren't provocative, yet, nonetheless, are attention-grabbing. “I aim for a blend of Western dazzle and Eastern femininity with hints of European inspired couture. I aim for the line to be a perfect combination of celebrity chic, avant-garde sleek and innovative treatment of classic shapes.” Rami Al Ali has not only gotten exactly what he aims for, he is certainly a name to watch out for on the international fashion scene from here on.
