(Photo from “Downtown Katameya” Facebook)
Chairs lined up on both sides of a lane, underground and among parking spots. For one day only, taking pictures in front of garage piers was ultimate fashion. A few months after a successful huge event, Fashion Zone, local fashion agency and magazine, invited Egypt’s fashion experts and figures for the season’s edgiest event.
Being a prêt a porter event added a unique appeal, as the wearable genre of clothes has only recently been introduced to the Egyptian market. To make it even more eccentric, the organisers choose Downtown Katameya’s parking lot as their venue.
According to the organisers, they wanted something new and edgy, far from the ordinary venues. The event included 10 pan-Arab and American designers, who by definition should have followed the criteria of ready-to-wear garments.
After closing Fashion Zone’s latest event, Stevie Boi collaborated with the agency once more. Sticking to the garage theme, Boi made one spectacular opening.
Contrary to the norm, Boi entered the runway at the beginning of the show. The models, who were dressed up in black and white outfits in addition to Boi’s eyewear, sat among the crowd until the spotlights pointed them out of their seats. Boi soon joined them on stage with a motorcycle that circled around the models.
The game of edginess only continued further with the next designer. Norine Farah, who also came back for a second round with Fashion Zone, collaborated with renowned local stylist Farah ElSayed to take swimwear to an artistic level.
(Photo from “Downtown Katameya” Facebook)
The duo left the audience amazed with the sophistication of their colour-blocked beachwear, which was mixed with several daring and minimal dresses. Throughout the collection, both artists maintained their signatures. Farah reserved her structured silhouette and ElSayed used her funk wigs and statement accessories.
Tiffany Rae, an American Stylist and designer and a friend of the agency, showcased a monochromic avant-garde series of outfits that depended on geometry. Rae embraced the season’s evident cut-outs and based her collection on rectangles, which could be associated to the Egyptian pyramids.
Up-and-coming designer Vivian Moawad overwhelmed the crowd with her flow of ideas. Even though her collection showed few signs of disjoint, each story was beautifully intricate and wearable. Her show started with lace, bright colours and florals, only to evolve into dark satin and edgy outfits.
However, her peak was certainly the closing story, which included drapes in white and nude and ended with an extravagant bride. Her bridal dress mixed several trends, such as patchwork and the high-low hemline, which made it both elegant and futuristic.
(Photo from “Downtown Katameya” Facebook)
Ola Jamal’s Pashmina was successfully the most commercial collection of the day. Jamal worked around the traditional eastern embroidery to create fresh and wearable outfits. Her collection was certainly a modern interpretation of old Egyptian costumes.
After creating an edgy and summery atmosphere that went hand in hand with the venue, the last two shows barely matched the theme. Both Heba Edris and Fouad Sarkis closed the day with fancy extravagant couture.
Edris incorporated a romantic kind of colour pallet; full of pastel colours. Moreover, her dresses manifested a great amount of embroidery, lace, drapes and sequins.
After a brief break that allowed few popular actresses, such as Fifi Abdou and Wafaa Amir, to join the crowd, Lebanese designer Fouad Sarkis presented the event’s big finale. Sarkis has been celebrated across the Arab world several times and he has also been the choice of several well-known stars.
His dresses lived up to his big name and reputation. Despite not following the event’s genre, his evening dresses were heavily and beautifully detailed. Sarkis choose several rich fabrics that helped his creations stand out and amaze the crowd.
