London kicked off the “big four” men’s fashion weeks this month, showcasing collections by a carefully selected group of established and emerging talents. Long-sleeved silhouettes, check prints and luxe sports dominated the runway and set the pace for menswear shows in Milan, Paris and – the final stop – New York, which wraps up on February 2. We talk to three UAE-based apparel and accessories designers to find out how they identify and integrate the international trends that they expect will spread to the region.
Emirati accessories: Khalid Basaeed
Emirati entrepreneur Khalid Basaeed is the creative brains behind the UAE-based design house Feathers, which has a “less is more” brand philosophy. Luxury accessories designed by Basaeed this season include camel leather shoes, bespoke watches and cufflinks. The pieces have design flourishes that reflect the symmetry of peacock feathers and elements of regional architecture.
Having established his brand in 2010, after graduating from Edinburgh College of Art, Basaeed keeps close tabs menswear on accessory lines produced by contemporaries in other countries.
“As a company we’re definitely paying attention to what’s being shown at the fashion weeks,” says Basaeed. “We’re looking for the new trends, especially in colours. What we’re seeing is a move away from strong, block colours, such as black and navy, to lighter, subtler shades. Therefore, we’re designing our sandals and wallets with maroon, shades of green, even taupe. These don’t tend to be common shades in menswear but that’s what we’re introducing.”
A big-ticket accessory purchase for stylish gents in the UAE this season might be a new watch. With the market fiercely competitive, and independent brands such as Feathers competing with long-established marks, from Cartier to Rolex, having a unique selling point is essential.
“This season we’re introducing simple watches that are very minimalistic,” says Basaeed. “For example, we recently launched a watch with a sporty yet very pared-down design. The watch has no ‘appliqué indices’ or numerals, just the minute and hour hands.
“We’ve also made the face square and produced two versions, one with a crown on either side. This means it can be worn by both right and left-handed people – which, again, isn’t commonly found with other watches.”
• Prices start from Dh400 for cufflinks and Dh2,000 for watches. For stockists go to www.feathers-fashion.com
Athletic aesthetic: Ahmed El Sayed and Saleh Al Banna
Ahmed El Sayed, left and Saleh Al Banna, founders of House of Nomad.
Founded in 2014, House of Nomad is spearheaded by designer-duo Ahmed El Sayed from Egypt and Emirati Saleh Al Banna. Known for consistently producing understated, luxury prêt-à-porter for men and women, the designers sent their latest pieces down the ramp at Fashion Forward in October last year. While previous collections were characterised by charcoal mix-and-match separates for men, comprising softly tailored trousers and monochrome bomber jackets, the autumn/winter line held a different appeal.
“We wanted to play more with colour,” says El Sayed. “There’s colour-blocking, colourful shapes and lines – all adapted to our sports-luxe aesthetic. We also used a bit of branding on sweatshirts and trousers, with graphics saying, ‘House of Nomad’ or ‘Define Nomad’. This caters to our younger clients who want to be part of the brand and share it with their peers. People like to show off a little bit that they’re wearing a particular brand.”
El Sayed’s decision to emblazon his designs with the company logo reflects a broader industry trend.
“We obviously keep an eye on what’s happening around the world with fashion weeks and big brands,” he says. “Prints are making a very big comeback and so is branding – with Gucci, for example. Their name, in big letters, is on everything right now, from T-shirts to shoes.”
House of Nomad has presented ready-to-wear collections in Paris, believing the French capital is more aligned with the label’s codes than some of the other cities on the fashion week calendar.
“I think our customer, and the brand in general, appeals more to the Paris and New York market than elsewhere,” says El Sayed. “Milan is quite refined and London is super edgy – so we’re more in the middle, I’d say.”
Themes El Sayed forecasts to emerge from menswear weeks this season include loungewear and practical separates that are easily transferable from day to night. “Comfort is making a comeback, that’s the biggest trend,” he says. “The whole pyjama trend will still be big, with pyjama tops and bottoms being worn with jeans and blazers, etc. Also footwear is much more about ‘comfortable-wear’ at this point, so we’ll see lots of trainers, slip-ons and slippers, too.” While El Sayed and Al Banna keenly watch the new ideas established menswear designers send onto the runway, they are careful not to become too obsessed with all the developments in the industry.
“We closely follow everything, but during the period when we’re designing a collection we take a break from all the shows,” adds El Sayed. “It’s the only way to allow our ideas to really flow. And naturally, you can become inspired by something you might see and unknowingly develop it into your brand. Also, what’s happening over in Europe might not necessarily work here in the region.
“So really, what we’re seeing at fashion weeks is the current trends and some of them are then merged with our aesthetic – that’s how we design.”
An enduring European trend that is gaining traction in the Middle East is that of see-now-buy-now collections. With their latest endeavour, House of Nomad is seeking to harness a growing consumer appetite for readily available, “seasonless” clothes.
“We’re working on an exclusive collection with theluxuryarcade.com,” says El Sayed. “There will mostly be hoodies and sweaters with our branding. People will be able to access the website and find them soon. It basically reflects our focus on fast-selling pieces which is what the wider fashion industry is doing, too.”
• Prices on request. To view recent collections, visit www.houseofnomad.ae
Bold bespoke: Varoin Marwah
Varoin Marwah
Dubai-based Indian model-turned-designer Varoin Marwah founded his eponymous menswear label in 2012, featuring both ready-to-wear collections and made-to-measure designs.
He made an acclaimed debut at FFWD last year with a spring/summer 17 collection called Aquadip. The range was an ode to his love of the ocean, with a palette that flitted from aquamarines to emerald sea greens. Jumpsuits and shirts were futuristic, jackets were sports-chic, while suits – with chevron accents – were slim fitting and contemporary in nature.
“The fabrics are breathable cotton blends and I’ve added details such as translucent buttons to depict pearl-like finishes.” says Marwah.
“Silver zippers have also been used to portray reflections. My brand aesthetic epitomises simplicity at first sight, yet when on an ‘exclusive rendezvous’ with the garments, one can notice the punctilious attention to fine details.”
He predicts that the major menswear fashion shows will be awash with bold, fresh colours, geometrical prints, stripes, heritage textiles and natural brocades.
Cuts will remain long and lean, he expects, with cigarette-cut trousers teamed with bomber jackets.
“I keep a relatively close eye on international fashion weeks, as it’s always interesting see how other creative heads are moving,” says Marwah.
“I personally like London, Paris and Milan’s weeks the best because they are more quirky, creatively distinct and strike a good balance between art and wearable fashion.”
• Prices on request. For more information, visit www.varoinmarwah.net
rduane@thenational.ae
