couture

With London Fashion Week in full swing, Arab designers on the calendar are making waves with their Spring/Summer 2024 shows. Below, discover the new Atelier Zuhra and Noon By Noor collections.

Noon By Noor
Photo: Courtesy of Noon By Noor
‘Moonlit’ by Bahraini label Noon by Noor, presented at London’s ‘HERE at Outernet,’ is a radiant testament to the boundless creativity of its founders, Shaikha Noor Rashid Al Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Mohamed Al Khalifa. This collection, for Spring/Summer 2024, masterfully captures the ethereal dance between light and darkness, mirroring the moon’s ever-shifting phases.
Photo: Courtesy of Noon By Noor
The designers have woven a tapestry of contrasts throughout the collection. From the billowing cape-like sleeves that create an airy and voluminous allure, to the square-cut shirts, some cropped, others transformed into bibs, this collection infuses different elements with remarkable versatility. The inclusion of utilitarian cargo pockets on chinos, shorts, and cotton dresses tied at the back brings a dash of practicality to the elegance, while the jackets stand as paragons of clean lines and simplicity, artfully devoid of linings, facings, or canvas.
Photo: Courtesy of Noon By Noor
In a harmonious collaboration with their creative team, Shaikha Noor and Shaikha Haya have taken a cinematic approach, exploring the intricate facets of the Noon By Noor woman and seamlessly blending romance, softness, independence, and strength to celebrate the unique spirit of women. This collection, aptly adapted for the Middle Eastern climate, exudes confidence and strength, truly embodying Noon By Noor’s vision of harmonious contrasts and adaptive creativity.
Atelier Zuhra
Photo: Courtesy of Atelier Zuhra
In a dazzling display of gracefulness and nostalgia, Atelier Zuhra, the Dubai-based couture fashion house helmed by Omani designer Rayan Al Sulaimani, transported us to the refined opulence of the Victorian age with its latest collection, ‘Timeless Beauty.’ This enchanting collection pays homage to the era of grandeur, seamlessly blending the past with the present.
Photo: Courtesy of Atelier Zuhra
Each piece in this collection was a testament to the house’s signature craftsmanship, which has caught the attention of stars like Beyoncé. The intricate embroidery, and choice of fabrics like silk taffeta, French tulle, and silk organza resulted in pieces that embraced femininity to the fullest. Rich tones of red ruby, luxurious blue sapphire, and affluent fuchsia also created a captivating visual symphony that resonated with a sense of regal splendor and modern vibrancy.
Photo: Courtesy of Atelier Zuhra
Read Next: Hijabi Runner Intisar Abdul-Kader Just Walked the Runway for the First Time at Copenhagen Fashion Week

Photo: Instagram.com/maisonsarachraibi
Rabat-based fashion label Maison Sara Chraibi took part in Paris Couture Week for the second year this Thursday, showcasing a collection that breathed new life into Morocco’s revered craftsmanship. Chraibi stands as one of the five Arab-led brands to grace the runway at this season’s couture week. Here are five highlights that perfectly encapsulate the richness of this collection.

It was an ode to Moroccan craftsmanship
Chraibi paid homage to Morocco’s exquisite craftsmanship by incorporating traditional elements into her designs. She skillfully utilized “Sabra,” a type of silk thread derived from aloe vera plants, typically used in Moroccan passementerie. The inclusion of this unique material added a beautiful glossiness to the collection. Sabra was tailored into Arabesque capes inspired by traditional Moroccan designs. Sleek, silky gowns were overlain with sheer material, reminiscent of kaftans.
Colors were simple, as embellishments sung
Chraibi kept her colors muted to show off her expert tailoring and meticulous embellishments. Patterns adorned the garments, with diamond-shaped motifs carefully stitched onto bustiers and rows of braiding framing open backs. The simplicity allowed the impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail to shine through.

The collection featured Arab-inspired architectural motifs
Drawing from her background in architecture, Chraibi seamlessly integrated geometric patterns and structures into her collection. The influence of her architectural studies and upbringing was evident as she sewed in geometries to chiffon overlays; in a structured corset-like piece with diamond motifs that began large and shrunk reaching the waist; or boots, gilded in gold, carved in diamond patterns.
It was clever tailoring with playful elegance
Chraibi’s collection artfully blended playfulness and sophistication. A prime example was a blazer dress with puffed-out, slouchy sleeves and an ivory dress with a cape-like extension at the back. This clever tailoring technique transformed the ensemble into a symbol of sweet elegance, demonstrating Chraibi’s ability to create unique and dynamic silhouettes.
Chraibi dresses the successful woman
Chraibi’s eponymous label embraces a sense of rigorous refinement, catering to women seeking attire for prominence and desiring an air of extravagance. From collarless suits worn under capes to hooded sleeveless dresses, the collection showcased a contemporary twist on elegant and traditional designs, tailored to empower the successful modern woman.
Read Next: 5 Things to Know About Elie Saab’s Medieval-Inspired Fall 2023 Couture Collection

Ming Lee Simmons arrived at Elie Saab’s fall 2023 couture show for Paris Couture Week

Courtesy of Rami Al Ali
Known for his romantic designs imbued with intricate tailoring, organic cuts, and a harmonious interplay of color, Syrian designer Rami Al Ali presented his Fall/Winter 2023-24 collection at Palais de Tokyo during Paris Couture Week. Here are five highlights that epitomize the essence of the collection.

Gowns disguised as sculptural art on the runway
Inspired by Henri Matisse’s cut-out era in the late 1940s, Al Ali brought the artist’s “carving into color” philosophy to life, where striking shapes and dynamic layering were fused with flowing lines and impeccable craftsmanship. From multi-layered skirts to sharply tailored jumpsuits, the diverse silhouettes catered to every type of woman, showcasing a contemporary sensibility.
Courtesy of Rami Al Ali
It was a couture show for avant-garde enthusiasts
Al Ali fearlessly explored avant-garde design methods in this collection, celebrating distinct expressions through his scissors. Employing luxurious fabrics like taffeta, satin, and soft silk muslin, each gown achieved a structural balance. The show exuded a sophisticated sensibility, illustrating architectural layering and hinting at Matisse’s playful cutting techniques.

Jewel tones painted the runway
The pristine white backdrop of Palais de Tokyo came alive with a palette of jewel tones, illuminating the runway with an enlightened elegance. From teal gowns to blush pink and champagne suits, the collection dazzled with monochromatic pieces that embody the architectural pieces.
Courtesy of Rami Al Ali
The Rami Al Ali bridal gown was breathtaking
A true masterpiece – the Rami Al Ali bridal gown was enchanted with glimmers of ivory and delicate vintage rose beadwork. The bride shimmered with a magnificent train that gracefully followed her. The lightweight veil cascaded flawlessly, embellished with a pour of beaded crystals.

A collection that inspires all women
Rami Al Ali has always represented refined aesthetics and modern elegance. The 2023-24 collection transcended boundaries, offering a myriad of possibilities for every woman. From a beautifully cinched kaftan at the center to an asymmetrical glossy pink suit, the collection showcased a range of innovative designs that exude sophistication and contemporary allure.
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Amira Al-Zuhair. Photo: Courtesy of Georges Hobeika
From Beyoncé opening her Renaissance World Tour in a custom, nude-tulle gown adorned with Swarovski crystals, to presenting their Fall 2023 Couture collection at Paris Haute Couture Week, Georges Hobeika and his co-creative director son, Jad Hobeika, have truly left a lasting impression this past year. Here are five key highlights that showcase the essence of their latest collection: “A Dream.”
Photo: Courtesy of Georges Hobeika
It was a scenic dream dressed in couture
The creative directors orchestrated a vibrant panorama on the runway, where the collection celebrated hope and optimism. Georges Hobeika revisited the theme of Mother Nature in this collection through the lens of the radiant and illustrious power of dreams. This was beautifully detailed with leaves sprouting from a top jacket and the enchanting presence of dragonflies embroidered through the show.
Fan BingBing. Photo: Courtesy of Georges Hobeika
Renowned faces graced the runway
Joining the co-creative’s visionary dream was the internationally acclaimed actor, Fan BingBing, a long-time admirer and wearer of Georges Hobeika Couture. Fan BingBing walked the runway in a mesmerizing pale turquoise pleated gown. In addition, Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair wore the Georges Hobeika bridal gown, adorned with a matte embroidery that evoked the allure of mist.
Photo: Courtesy of Georges Hobeika
Ornamental creatures decorated the collection
Amid the intricate floral and botanical embroideries crafted from delicate fabrics such as duchess satin, crepe chiffon, and organza, one could find the whimsical presence of dragonflies. These delightful creatures were artfully stitched onto coats and skirts, adorned as pins and on shoes, and even worn as crystal earrings. The collection also boasted tulip bud belts, cascades of crystal flowers, feathers, and pearls, harmoniously blending nature’s allure with couture craftsmanship.
Photo: Courtesy of Georges Hobeika
The collection painted a soft, transcendent, and dreamlike sky
From monochrome sets to colorful georgette gowns embellished with captivating jewels, Georges Hobeika expertly curated a vivid collection with fluid silhouettes. The color palette ranged from purple lilacs and pastel pinks to fresh and verdant greens, and blues reminiscent of a morning sky.
Photo: Courtesy of Georges Hobeika
The Georges Hobeika woman exalted self-confidence and femininity
The Georges Hobeika brand embodies a powerful ethos, consistently empowering women to radiate self-confidence through their innate femininity. The Fall 2023 Couture collection perfectly encapsulated this essence, offering a diverse range of styles that cater to every woman’s individuality. From the experimental and extravagant to the elegantly simple, each piece was carefully crafted to evoke “joy, gentleness, and freedom.”
Read Next: 5 Things to Know About Georges Hobeika’s Mother Nature-Inspired Fall/Winter 2022 Couture Collection

Nicky Hilton Rothschild arrived at Schiaparelli’s couture fall 2023 show during Paris Couture Week on

PARIS — Stéphane Rolland is ready for the altar.
The French couturier is launching his first bridal collection, Epure, which will debut at New York Bridal Fashion Week.

The demi-couture collection will feature 10 silhouettes that recall the strong, sculptural shapes that he presents on the runways in Paris.

As the designer behind Celine Dion’s Billboard Music Awards dress in 2017, Rolland is no stranger to show-stopping white dresses. Her plunging V-neck gown with dramatically sculpted shoulders became instantly famous.

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Most recently, Rolland’s showroom has served as a set for the hit series “Emily in Paris.”

He’s also been behind some key looks for Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. In his most recent collections, the designer has been exploring using 3D and other contrasting materials for bold shapes.

The new bridal collection will recall those codes, with the same volume and architectural touches his collections are known for, as well as incorporate the same materials in crepe, duchess satin, gazar, tulle and lace.

Gowns will range from $6,500 to $15,250 through affiliated boutiques, and take six weeks from fitting to delivery.

Rolland has been expanding his lines of business rapidly. The move to launch bridal comes after the designer launched a ready-to-wear line in 2021, and a namesake handbag collection in July 2020. At the time it was his first expansion since opening his house in 2007.

After its U.S. launch, the collection will be shown at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week. Both shows will be held in April, with the first gowns available in September.

During Paris Haute Couture Week in January, Rolland closed with a voluminous wedding dress of golden cloqué lamé, which was embellished on the front, bottom and hood with golden arched sculptures.

Photo: Gorunway.com
Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli continued to push the boundaries of haute couture with his club-inspired collection, held below the Pont Alexandre III in Paris. Vogue fashion critic Anders Christian Madsen shares his five key takeaways from the Italian fashion house’s spring/summer 2023 couture show.
Photo: Gorunway.com
It took place in a nightclub
Pierpaolo Piccioli staged his Valentino haute couture show at 10pm in the dark of the underground Bridge Club below the Pont Alexandre III, with Kylie Minogue and Anne Hathaway dressed to the nines. “It’s the idea of the club as a place where fantasies can become real; where people are not only allowed to be who they want to be, but where their fantasies can transform them into whomever they wish to be. I think this is quite contemporary,” he said during a preview. “It’s a moment where I feel that people really want to feel free – to express themselves. Haute couture is culture based in fashion.” The message was clear: we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it, as the 1980s saying goes. Piccioli’s research was nestled in the transgressive spirit of New Wave and the New Romantics: kids like Leigh Bowery and his kind, who made the club their paradise of freedom. But, he said, “In the ’80s they were kind of hiding in the clubs. Now it’s a new stage of life.” No more getting changed on the night bus home, guys. The street is your dancefloor.
Photo: Gorunway.com
It reflected a new culture of haute couture
Since Piccioli started shaking up the world of haute couture some six years ago – going by the philosophy of “keeping its codes but changing its values” – it has become a different culture. When he popped into the atelier to have a look at the orders being made for clients the day before the show, the petites-mains were working on an outfit made up of a bra with a skirt and a coat. Not your traditional couture order. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said with a smile, but he could. The reason Piccioli can now stage couture shows in flamboyant club surroundings is because the popularity of his early solo shows for the house had the impact they did on social media. Now, those audiences – clients as well as onlookers and the many influencers who attend his shows – expect the amped-up, vibrant, sassy displays of attitude that unfolded under the Pont Alexandre III this season. “Fashion is about catching the zeitgeist, and the opportunity to progress people’s thoughts,” he said.
Photo: Gorunway.com
It was a meeting between Leigh Bowery and Mr Valentino
If the large-scale capes and balloon skirts that hit his proverbial dancefloor would be a daunting fit even for the most epic of discotheques, rest assured this wasn’t a collection designed for the club, but one inspired by the idea of it. “I didn’t want to adapt couture to the club, I wanted to create the kind of couture I’d want them to wear. It’s the Diana Vreeland way: ‘Don’t give them what they want, but let them want what you give them!’ That’s the fantasy. The dream of couture,” Piccioli mused. “The world of Leigh Bowery, the world of Mr Valentino in the ’80s. The glamour of the stripes, the polka dots, the ruffles, the most classical signs of haute couture, but re-signified in a different way with a different kind of balance. Leigh Bowery meets Mr Valentino.” He expressed it in formidable silhouettes that bordered on the performance art native to the ’80s clubbing codes, and painted them in the new intensified take on his signature colour and texture language he debuted in his last ready-to-wear show.
Photo: Gorunway.com
It was couture for the people
This was a collection shaped by its context. In the maison’s palatial salons on Place Vendôme – where the breeze of haute history still envelops you in stardust when you walk through the rooms – Piccioli’s creations looked much more like classical couture than they did on the raised podium of the club, with Anohni and Visage on the loudspeakers. It was an interesting experiment: an exercise into how far out of its traditional frames you can push couture and still make it feel haute. Elevated onto sky-high neon orange platforms with matching leggings and crowned with pink sunglasses with spiky plumes, this was pop couture – for the people. “I don’t want to be the kind of couturier who cares what people do with the clothes. I keep my show, and it can be worn like this or in a more classical way,” Piccioli said. “Couture clients today are not like in the ’50s. Hopefully they wear it with a pair of jeans and T-shirt. It’s not about the looks, it’s about the pieces.”
Photo: Gorunway.com
It was a manifesto for freedom
Now, Piccioli’s approach to haute couture is to give people the tools to transform into the best – and, you might say, most exuberant – version of themselves. “This is a sort of manifesto of freedom. In clubs there are not boundaries, and I hope that can happen in the world. Giving people a stage,” he said. “As a designer, I feel a responsibility to use my voice with awareness. I don’t want to talk about how many ruffles are on a dress because you can just count them. I feel that true haute couture is louder. You can deliver messages for the moment.”
Originally published on Vogue.co.uk

Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich and other powerful women of the ’20s served as inspiration for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s spring/summer 2023 Dior couture collection.
The collection took inspiration from the Roaring ’20s

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s haute couture collection for Christian Dior was inspired by Josephine Baker and the glitz and glamour that defined her era. But beyond that, it was an accomplished exercise in distilling a reference to an expression that suited the present-day mentality. The minimal lines and faded opulence that embodied her proposal captured the not-so-roaring ’20s in which we find ourselves through a distinctly modern, slick and relevant lens that felt both appropriate and desirable. “I came back from Christmas and the atmosphere was heavy,” Chiuri sighed during a preview. “The war in Ukraine, Iran, the cost of living crisis… We are very scared in Italy with new legislation about abortion. England is having a difficult moment after Brexit. I understand that the minister of New Zealand says, ‘I’m tired.’ She’s brave and honest,” she said, referring to Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. While this collection reflected that sensibility, it was anything but tired.

Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich played muse

After studying the power-dressing of Catherine de’ Medici for last season’s ready-to-wear collection, Chiuri detected a similar approach in the wardrobe of Josephine Baker. As a Black cabaret singer in 1920s Paris – and an example of the nouvelle femme – she used clothes as a tool to combat and transcend the racial stereotyping and gender roles of her time. With her growing stardom, Baker became a couture client at Dior and upon her triumphant return to America in 1951, Jet magazine ran a cover line that boasted about her “$250,000 wardrobe”. A wartime resistance fighter and early civil rights activist, Baker – who attended Yves Saint Laurent’s haute couture show for Dior in ’59 – took fashion seriously as a cultural force for change. In doing so, she echoed her contemporary Marlene Dietrich, whose provocative penchant for masculine dress codes earned her a spot alongside Baker on Chiuri’s board of season muses.
Chiuri reduced the cabaret wardrobe into a relevant expression

“I like the idea of creating a collection that’s inspired by the ’20s, when cabaret dresses were sparkly and embroidered and glamorous, and mixing it with real life: the tailleur, the uniform,” Chiuri said. “I’m a very pragmatic woman who likes clothes you can wear. Working with the feeling that comes from this reference, you can create something that works for today.” She took the elements of Baker’s heyday – fringed dresses, bustier dresses, metallic dresses – and purified their lines, relaxed them in construction and quieted their glitter factor until only the memory of them remained. The idea lent itself well to Chiuri’s couture practice, which has always employed the techniques of the atelier to create expressions founded in reality. And so, she hand-embroidered pale gold microcuvette with platinum tube fringes, draped burnished silver lamé jacquard into Grecian curves, and worked the finest gleaming crushed velvet into cowl-back evening silhouettes.
It had couturified elements of underwear and robes

The exuberant performances of Baker inspired research into the undergarments of the time, and the interwar period fashion for entertaining at home – or in fabulous hotel suites – in housecoats and robes. Chiuri transformed the pieces into a kind of evening look, like one composed of a black satin smocked satin swimsuit worn under a silk velvet robe with black lapels stitched in a diamond pattern. The idea expanded into more dressy oscillating crepe satin negligees paired with outerwear that borrowed from the herringbone and tweed of the gentleman’s wardrobe. Enter Marlene and her strict black tailoring, now slightly softened like a pleated marled wool jacket and skirt suit, a similar silhouette created in grey blistered jacquard, or a slate-grey felted wool cape that Chiuri understandably couldn’t help but swoon over in the showroom. “This kind of work, it’s so minimal… but it’s so couture!”
Mickalene Thomas created the set

Presented in a structure in the garden of Musée Rodin – “La Vita” by Beverly Glenn-Copeland on the sound system – the runway was framed by huge textile-based artworks created by the African-American artist Mickalene Thomas and over-embroidered by the Chanakya School of Craft in India. They portrayed thirteen Black or mixed-race women, whose contributions to culture opened the doors for new generations: Josephine Baker and Nina Simone; actresses Diahann Carroll, Dorothy Dandridge and Marpessa Dawn; actors and singers Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, Josephine Premice and Hazel Scott; models Donyale Luna, Naomi Sims and Helen Williams; and the model agent Ophelia DeVore. “The consideration was to research a diverse and eclectic group of women with the odds set against them,” Thomas said. “In spaces that attempted to reject or impede their success, they persevered with confidence, elegance, beauty and talent.”
Originally published in Vogue.co.uk

MILAN — Designer Renato Balestra, a doyen of Italian couture, died in Rome on Saturday, aged 98. A funeral service will be held in the Italian capital on Tuesday.
Balestra opened his first atelier in 1959 in Rome, where the company is still based, after an apprenticeship with Jole Veneziani and working for the likes of Emilio Schubert, Maria Antonelli and Sorelle Fontana.

Born into a family of architects and engineers, he stood out for his artistic spirit and was defined as the “painter of fashion.”

Known for his signature painterly embroidery and blend of fabrics and transparencies, his name was associated with a distinctive color — Balestra blue.

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His strong passion for cinema led him to design costumes for Ava Gardner in “The Barefoot Contessa” and “The Sun Also Rises”; for Gina Lollobrigida in “Beautiful but Dangerous”; for Sophia Loren in “Lucky to Be a Woman,” and for Candice Bergen in “The Adventurers,” among others. He became a favorite of movie stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Claudia Cardinale and Carroll Baker, to name a few.

Balestra designed exclusive collections for Isetan in Tokyo as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Foley’s, Neiman Marcus and Lord & Taylor.

In 1970, he included men’s looks in a women’s fashion show — a pioneer in creating unisex collections on coed catwalks.

A Renato Balestra look from the spring 1987 collection.

image courtesy of Balestra

His brand was relaunched earlier this year with a new course set by his granddaughter, Sofia Bertolli Balestra, with a first ready-to-wear collection presented in February during Milan Fashion Week. Renamed simply Balestra, the logo revisits the hand-drawn version designed by the founder in 1971 and appears in his signature color.

Steering Balestra’s research, development and brand identity, Bertolli Balestra has been building the brand’s impressive archive, which includes more than 40,000 sketches and drawings, hundreds of gowns, videos and newspaper articles, and had been declared of historical interest by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities.

The brand remains privately owned by the family, with the founder’s daughters Fabiana — Sofia’s mother — and Federica Balestra at the head of the fashion house.