Meeting with Middle East emerging designer Nathalie Trad at her showroom during Paris Fashion Week, one can’t help but note that the Dubai-based designer is as easy going as ever. Each season, regardless of the fact that the designer of the eponymous brand is one of the Middle East’s foremost emerging designer successes, Trad’s enthusiasm for her craft certainly doesn’t waiver—and neither does her affability. Perhaps in what is an unconscious nod to her brand’s upwards trajectory, Trad looked to the galaxy for Fall 2016 inspiration.
However, a conversation with Trad proved that it was something else entirely that drove her—and she revealed that her feet are firmly planted in the ground. “The Black Edition collection was born from the feedback we received from stylists, buyers, and press,” she explained to Style.com/Arabia. “Red carpet stylists wanted toned down, smaller clutches, that complimented a dress while remaining precious and unique.” Indeed, the new line of micro clutches preserves signature architectural and geometrical influences. Champagne and jewel tones are easy to pair with red carpet dresses, while blends of silver and gold work with varied jewelry color contrasts.
Overall, the overarching feeling here is that the collection is laying the grounds for a new chapter. Trad spoke of an intergalactic search for Utopia 2.0—and we most certainly will be going along with her for the ride through that wormhole.
