Category Archives: Fashion Week

AIISHA S/S 2012 in Paris

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Aiisha White Dress

I have the pleasure to announce that our AIISHA S/S 2012 Couture collection Le Pouvoir De La Poudre will be presented in Paris for buyers to view from the 20th January until the 15th of February. The presentation coincides with the Paris Fashion Week as I’ll be there not only to meet buyers, but also to watch my favorite fashion shows like Elie Saab, Stephane Roland and George Hobeika.

Viewing our collection is by appointment only. Kindly contact us for appointments.

Contact details:

Twitter: @aiisharamadan

Email: Aiisha

This collection has participated in the latest edition of New Zealand’s Next Top Model, Ariel 3D fashion show that was hosted by June Ambrose, and will soon appear in a campaign that I can’t wait to share with the whole world. Check out more designs from our collection. Its romantic bold and simply beautiful.

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

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Aiisha Ramadan walks the KFW runway

I had the pleasure to be invited to the Kazakhstan Fashion Week and without any hesitation I accepted the invitation. For one, women from Kazakhstan are some of the most beautiful ones in the world who adore fashion and actually appreciate it. Secondly, after consideration, we accepted the invitation especially that Kazakhstan is becoming a fashion destination. Finally, I wanted to try a place that not many people have tried. I like to be a pioneer in discovering places hungry for creativity and art. My expectations were exceeded a million times. The professionalism and reception that my team and I were welcomed with were beyond any experience I have ever had. The passion that everybody showed to the Kazakhstan Fashion Week, from the organizers, to the models to our personal assistants was by all measures something I will cherish for life and learn from everyday.

I showcased my latest collection Le Pouvoir de la Poudre, the dearest collection to my heart by far for the first time in full officially at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week. This collection is essentially inspired by powder visions I saw on the beaches of the Côte d’Azur. Tones that I breathed in the air of Paris. In short, I put my heart in this collection and whether you like it or not, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the work I put in it. Did I mention that it snowed for the first time on the day of my fashion show? About a month earlier than anticipated..

We had a 3-day-exhibition where we met with buyers, a press conference and my show was the second day’s Finale.

For my show, I had a casting for nearly 200 professional models, of which I chose 24 gorgeous girls that represented a variety of looks. I presented about 35 looks leaving out some of the structured pieces, which I will post separately.

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

The music my husband chose, left people talking about it. Here’s the full list:

No.
Song
Artist
01
Powder
Parov Stelar
  
02
Paris
Scratch Massive
  
03
Tonight
Miguel Migs
  
04
Fantasize The Love
Gare Du Nord
  
05
Woman
The James Taylor Quartet
  
06
Nightcall (Feat. Lovefoxxx)
Kavinsky
  
07
On S’En Fou
Loane
  
08
Chocolate Distance
Karuan
  
09
Familiar
Marko Bokun
  
10
Dita Dimone
Pop Levi
  
And for the Outro we chose an Intro, how convenient  
Intro – The xx

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

AIISHA at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

The part I mostly enjoyed was the choreography. I placed about 5 white lounge chairs on the beginning of the rectangular shaped 63 meters catwalk and had each model who didn’t have to change her outfit sit at or stand by the chair. By the end of the show, I had a perfect vision of princesses or mermaids, whatever you wanna call them, shaping the most perfect tableau. I swear that as I was doing my turn with Tunisian super model Faten and as I was approaching the girls seated as choreographed, I felt a thrill from the perfect vision I saw.

AIISHA Finale at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week

This was my tableau, these were my girls so proud of wearing my collection, looking so perfect in every way.

My show had about 700 people turn up, people who didn’t know me, but they came to see what a UAE based designer would bring to the table. I heard the clapping throughout the show and I saw the excitement on people’s faces as I walked the runway barefoot to greet them. In short, it was a success!

I want to thank the entire team of the Kazakhstan Fashion Week and the great city of Almaty for making this a memorable experience to us.

In Dubai, this collection is Exclusively stocked at FROST boutique in Palmstrip Center, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai – UAE.

Paris Fashion Week report soon…

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Just came back from Paris and Milan were I had the pleasure of being at the front row of nearly all of the fashion shows I watched at the Paris Fashion Week. I met with all the designers of the shows I’ve visited and had the best time backstage cuddling with their clothes as well as meeting with the hottest celebrities.

Anyways, since I came back – just 4 days ago, life has been upside down trying to catch up with a lot of work. Soon, I’ll update you on my trip in addition to our latest and really exciting news!

The shows I visited:

- Smalto (Homme)

- Cerruti (Homme)

- John Galliano (Homme)

- George Hobeika (Femme)

- George Chakra (Femme)

- Zuhair Murad (Femme)

- Elie Saab (Femme)

- Robert Abi Nader (Femme)

I’d also like to thank the below for inviting me, sorry I couldn’t make it, but I did watch all your shows later on and they’re amazing!

Among many others, Kenzo, Paul Smith, Basil Soda and Stephane Rolland (who I met later and found super charming!)

Here’s a little taste from George Hobeika’s backstage model’s running order chart:

George Hobeika models' running order

Thanks to all of the designers, their PR, and to Laith Bazari.. one of the sweetest, boldest and workaholic journalists I’ve ever met!

Laith Bazari

South France and Paris – Part 3 (Fashion)

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Since I plan to visit Paris in January 2011 during the Paris Fashion Week, I thought that I should post the last post of my series about my summer trip to South of France and Paris.

It’s highly agreed on that fashion was born in the French capital Paris. When thinking about the International brands in the Fashion world, its Dior and Chanel top the list and indeed they are carved in the French presence. I don’t exaggerate when I say that there’s a woman with an LV or an Hermes every 5 meters. Whether in a sunny Nice or in the aristocratic Monaco or the stylish Paris, fashion floats on the roads and is the air that people breathe.

To buy the blush version of an LV Alma, I had to reserve the only remaining piece in France from Monaco 2 weeks before I reached Paris.

Louis Vuitton Alma - Blush

As for the Lancel – Brigitte Bordeaux edition, I fell in love with it from the moment I saw it. So I requested it in cream with gold before I left Paris and I felt a great joy when I received it in Dubai.

Lancel window display in Paris

Lancel Brigitte Bardot Edition

In St Tropez I had 2 special moments besides any others. The first was when I saw a lady wearing one of my dresses from the Valentine collection that sold at Galeries Lafayette Dubai. The second was when I visited one of my friends at her home in St Tropez. I was greeted by her daughter, Noor, wearing a dress that I made for her.

Noor, the first young girl to wear an Aiisha dress

Normally I do not design for children, but this child specifically wanted to look like her stylish mother, so I made them the same design for each. Noor also has a beautiful taste and we seem to always agree on the colors. Recently in December, I made her birthday dress with the theme being “Princess”. Needless to say how gorgeous she looked and always looks.

Brigitte Bardot ballerina dresses

I loved that in France International brands and local brands can be found to satisfy the different tastes and budgets. However, some people still live in the la la land where logic is not part of their dictionary. For example, in Nice when while wandering the Antique market on a Saturday, one of the sellers was displaying a used Hermes paper bag for 24 euros. Until this moment I could not understand what was going on that lady’s head and what were her sales expectations.

My favorite part was shopping for couture fabrics from Nice. It was a beautiful experience and everytime I’m in a fabric store, I feel like Alice in Wonderland!

Aiisha and Evian – Live Young and Give Back..

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Like I mentioned before, Evian initiated a Live Younger campaign in Dubai following their most watched Ad video (Over 22 million viewers till this post date)  on You Tube (Evian Roller Babies)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs

Evian asked Dubai’s top designers to recreate the Evian Live Younger T-Shirt, and it was showcased at the Dubai Fashion Week that recently took place and auctioned the T-Shirts for the benefit of Dubai Cares, whose project for 2010 is to secure clean drinking water for children in schools globally.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to the show where my T-shirt was the show’s opener but I heard that mine was the favorite of many as it incorporated the Aiisha’s favorite elements, sexy romance, ruffles and powder tones. Other designers did some really cool job as well.

Evian Live Young

Evian Live Young Campaign

Auction was held at the trendy Carbon 12 Gallery in Al-Quoz

Aiisha's Evian Live Young T-Shirt on DFW 2010 Catwalk

Aiisha Evian T-Shirt @ the auction

Aiisha in Desert Fish Magazine

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It was interesting to be at the Galeries Lafayette fashion show and have my hand on Desert Fish which had the below full page:

Aiisha Ramadan in Desert Fish

In terms of content, again, I speak my mind about fashion in Dubai and how it should and can get better.

Aiisha Ramadan

I won’t talk much about fashion
week, exhibitions and buyers because
the problem in all of them are related
to a single core and to one another. The
entire concept of fashion weeks and
exhibitions in the UAE is new (4 -
5 years in not old enough) and has
been based on wrong foundations
in some ways and has had plenty of
great potential in a handful of ways.

I believe that the core is all down to
when we form a fashion designers
organization that would regulate, set
standards and look after its members,
only then the UAE fashion will take a
very different path. With that comes
an education to the society to
appreciate and being proud of their
designers. It’s a mentality change
that we have to build and lead in order for us to
break from the routine of the domination of
the international brands from Chanel to H&M.
Eventually, the UAE will develop an identity
of which it will be known for.
When the identity is strong enough,
clear and unique in its own way,
only then the UAE fashion can invade the world.

Golden Days of DFW: Aiisha and NOKIA (Retrospective)

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Yesterday was the last day at the DFW for the season. I haven’t been part of the DFW for a couple of years as it was time for change; however, my T-Shirt design was the opener at the Evian Fashion show where 15 designers participated in benefit for Dubai Cares Charity Foundation. I will post a separate thread for that with photos.

This year, the DFW happens to go under fire as the fashionistas have had enough. If you go back in my blog, you’ll find 2 posts (about a year old) addressing the issues that should be taken into consideration when trying to elevate the standards of the DFW: http://tiny.cc/pd3uj and http://tiny.cc/z4mb5

This is when I remembered the good times, the golden ones, when my first mega collaboration was with Nokia where the show was strong because of the theme and the designs, Nokia’s presence, PR and continuing efforts in taking the show around the Middle East (Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Pakistan).

Prism Geometric

Prism Geometric Mini Dress

My entire collection was inspired by the Nokia Prism 7900 handset. It was one of Nokia’s first fashion attempts in the region and it was carried out with me during the Dubai Fashion Week in 2007. As mentioned before, the collection then toured the Gulf and Middle East and it was a great success. Later the same year, I was invited to be the pioneer designer of the Super Nova collection at the La Destination Design de Nokia – Marrakech. That too was a beautiful experience.

In terms of the designs, they were inspired by the Prism’s geometric shapes, elegance, black basic colors and from the 42 built in colors that reflect on the phone’s keypad, I chose purple, blue, silver and rainbow.

Watch highlights from the fashion show below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSXosdPkp_k

Going back to the DFW, I’ve said enough.. a year ago and much more to the press all along. Now, I sit and watch hoping for progress. Until then, my collaborations will keep going on and my private fashion shows will stay.. private.

A Barbie® Story

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It all started with a phone call, and I was jumping with joy.

Barbie is celebrating her 50th birthday and I was invited with other designers to sketch some designs to dress her up for the occasion. Mattel assigned a panel of judges to meet and choose the designs they deem fit for Barbie. I have to admit, I didn’t spare a minute, I was sketching designs without counting, ended up with 25 or more, but I only submitted 16 to the panel, which to my surprise they chose 3 of my sketches to be produced and and go on the catwalk.

Barbie and I

Barbie and I

As some of you might know, I am in the midst of preparing of my own fashion show in collaboration with Victoria Casal Jewellery and participation from Manolo Blahnik shoes and its taking most of my time, I don’t even have time to update this blog, but I found the time to produce 3 pieces :)

On the 29th of October, 2009 the designs found their way to this year’s Dubai Fashion Week Grand Finale, the Barbie Fashion Show.

DFW Invite, Barbie Booklet

DFW Invite, Barbie Booklet

Total of 26 designers from the region paid tribute to Barbie, a true fashion icon, I would like to share 2 of my designs with you.

My favorite Barbie Dress

My favorite Barbie Dress

Messages of Love, Peace, Virtue, Freedom, Beauty, Hope, Happiness

Messages of Love, Peace, Virtue, Freedom, Beauty, Hope, Happiness

50 years young, and Barbie is still look stunning.

Barbie Candy Girl

Barbie Candy Girl

Check out this week edition of Grazia Magazine for an exclusive chance to win one of my Barbie Designs.

Grazia Magazine

Grazia Magazine

Fashion Weeks, Designers, and myself in Dubai (Thoughts)

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Aiisha on catwalk

I’ve been living in Dubai for the most of my life. I don’t know any other home. As a young girl who likes fashion, I’ve seen the fashion scene in Dubai mature and become more cosmopolitan. It’s almost well known that Dubai lacks a clear identity in terms of its fashion mood, yet it brings onto the table so much to look up to. Is it conservative? Modern, Funky, Classic, High-End, Ready-to-Wear or Couture oriented? Is it for very well established designers or emerging talents? Because the quality is immensely different.

That is especially clear at the internationally acclaimed Dubai Fashion Week where you see several designers with contrasting views towards fashion and the market needs. It’s not a Prêt-à-Porter show, it’s not a couture show. It’s not conservative; it’s a lot of things.

That, has so far been perceived as a negative thing, which in many ways it is. However, if the fashion organizers take a look at the fashion scenario from a different perspective, they can bring these varieties in the most amazing form.

If you go to Paris it’s because you enjoy and want to see couture at its best, with London, its funky street wear with an open minded creativity. There’s a clear identity and purpose of their fashion weeks. However, only Dubai has a variety of cultures, styles and serves more than 1 market. In the end, Dubai has a massive variety of population, tastes and cultures.

  • To bring together what we currently have in the fashion scene closer to the various markets and consumers in Dubai, there has to be standards set without bending.
  • There should never be a first come (pay) first serve to be listed at the fashion weeks. The screening process shouldn’t be conducted by an accountant.
  • There should be a big awareness campaign regarding the regionally based designers.
  • These designers should be able to get International level of training in Dubai.
  • All designers showcasing should have a theme to follow in each of their fashion shows.
  • Coherency is a must. Right now, the press pick up photos from each designer where its impossible to guess that both designs are for the same designer from the same show.
  • Professional models.
  • Professional Photography.
  • PR – PR – PR: Fairness to all designers participating. Once all have been accepted, all designers are supposed to get the maximum possible coverage. Or else, each would rather get his/her own sponsors and carry out their own shows solo with their PR working on their media coverage.
  • Bigger sponsor names.. come on, this is the image of Dubai which is FULL of big brands, if not the HOME of brands!
  • An International Fashion Designer/ Fashion House to be invited to showcase as the Grand Finale of the fashion week. Lets face it, what’s been offered is really not international. International is Dior, Donna Karen, Gucci.. Do I need to name them all??
  • International Press. After all of the above have been dealt with, invite few international editors. It will pay off well.

I live in Dubai, and I love it here.

As I saw the UAE growing into one of the most economically powerful and man-made countries to be proud of, in my field, I’d love to see faith in the designers around, high standards to be proud of and to have Vogue scheduling us on their calendar rather than us begging for the local newspapers to cover us. I know that we can make it, but first, we need to agree on what we want.

Did you know that Dubai is getting recognition as a Fashion City? We will cover that in another post.

Dubai Fashion Week Part 2

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DFW Studio 8 Invitation

DFW Studio 8 Invitation

Press Release – Dubai Fashion Week – April 2009

 Aiisha showcased her new collection in the Studio 8 fashion show at this year’s Dubai Fashion Week.  In an exhilarating and vibrant display of creative brilliance, Aiisha pushed the boundaries and scaled new heights of fashion individualism. Evoking the spirit of Dubai and her fresh, pristine mood, Aiisha combined striking colours, flowing designs and an effervescent energy to create a big splash for her Resort  Autumn/Winter 09-10 collection.

aiisha_1_resized

Fuchsia mini dress with an opened back. This opening dress was a show stopper!

The Aiisha collection is evolving and becoming more defined which in turn reflects her personality and creativity as a designer.  Aiisha is extremely excited about this new phase of her design career and feels passionately that it will strike a chord with fashion lovers and resonate deeply within people that are looking for unique, fresh concepts and styles

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One of my favorites, Fuchsia Kaftan with a killer beaded back

“The best part of creativity is experimenting and for me, going from Earthy tones to striking ones was an unprecedented move” says Aiisha. Keeping in spirit, the collection will also be more haute couture.

img_4338_resized

Lemon Yellow Kaftan

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Lemon Yellow Kaftan (Back)

The new Aiisha collection will headline many various events, combine with special occasions and showcase exclusively at new and trendy fashion outlets.

aiisha_3_resized

Poison green layered short dress

Straight after the Studio 8 show at Dubai Fashion Week, Aiisha’s collection will be available at the International Multi brand store Studio 8 which is owned by Sara Belhasa.

img_4262_resized

Yellow Flower Dress

 

Stockists also include:

March 2009 – Chocolate & Pickles – Wafi (already available)

April 2009 – Le Balcon des Creatures – Beirut (Lebanon)

May 2009 – Soiree, Al Wasl Road

May 2009 – Aura B – online