Spring/Summer 19

‘soft only’

Soft Only was drawn from the closeted, digital queer life in the Arab world. Inspired by the creative forms that peacocking takes within a closed society, this season features bright colors and confessional handwriting prints. However, it was also a wider exploration of how people express their sexuality - whether through underground online platforms, Internet identities, and/or the nightlife scene. We looked into dating apps like Grindr – exploring the culture that surrounds it, the lingo, the unwritten rules and its own unique set of digital etiquette.

Gradient prints are once again revisited, this time in the form of the classic rainbow spectrum – a nod to the colours that have become synonymous with that western movement. Is there space for these thoughts in our hometown in Jordan? How do my friends navigate in this environment? The exploration of overt sexuality wasn’t just reserved for our queer friends, this season featured plunging necklines, a black jumpsuit with graphic lines dubbed ‘the threat’. It was about wearing that closeted energy on our sleeve: suggestive, coy, inviting, hot.

Shot against the gradient backdrops of the NS studio, channeling a moody hypersaturated utopian desert. A bold face: Habiba, styled by larger than life personality Raaya – a humble MENA group effort to create imagery that reflects our questions about our intersectional and diverse society.