Spring/Summer 16

‘temporary security’

We are based in Jordan - so that’s already half the story. The energy around our region is insane and as a creative, I’m always hunting for pools of electricity. We’re surrounded by wars and unjustifiable conflict. I didn’t mean to make a collection with political undertones – I started off thinking about youth and freedom, but the more I thought about freedom the more I understood that freedom has always been fought for. We take it for granted but some people died for the liberties we have today.

Variations on the classic camouflage print, now saturated with colour – military made beautiful. What was once a print associated with war and ugliness was now a print with colours to lift you, printed on silk cotton grosgrains, double georgettes and poplin. All our prints and embroideries are lovingly made in-house.

I imagined a powerful and positive protest of guys and girls who felt an urgency to go out and say something. We featured bilingual embroidered phrases saying the same things like ‘can we be victorious’ and ‘twice killed’. Arabic is not neutral right now – but that made it even more relevant. The words borders and television face each other on jeans, acting as a commentary on our generations priorities. Young people want to be politically aware but entertainment is just around the corner.

I love music festivals – the freedom, the escape, the good vibes, so lots of the design references came from what my friends and I wear, need, and want. We made backpacks and bum bags because we wanted our hands back, for moving, dancing, and fighting the good fight.

When the time came to present this on the runway, I chose the words of Nawal El Saadawi, the leading Egyptian feminist, sociologist, medical doctor and militant writer on Arab women's issues. She personified the spirit of our message and was the perfect voice to open our show.