Fashion Forward Season 5 Highlights and Reviews

EZRA

“But the piña was such an interesting fabric to work with and the story was so enticing that Santos could have easily done without the hot pink neoprene numbers and all of the heavy, saccharine styling displayed during the show.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

THE EMPEROR 1688

“Highlights were a beautiful dress with navy bodice, a dropped waist enriched with shredded organza hand-stitched to look like feathers, and a shiny, black silk skirt. Meanwhile, a short-sleeved navy summer coat and an urban series of sweatshirts and black flower appliqué skirts made for a more ‘downtown’ feel.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

DIMA AYAD

“The collection looked covetable: notably a fitted black and burgundy turtleneck dress with web-like wool knitting on the décolletage and sleeves...” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

STARCH FOUNDATION

“The Starch Foundation’s show is an important one. Founded by Rabih Kayrouz and Tala Hajjar, the program handpicks regional designers, mentors them, and offers a platform for them to show and grow.” SARKIS DERSAHAGIAN: “In this critic’s view, Dersahagian demonstrates strong potential with menswear—a burgeoning industry in its own right—and shouldn’t spread himself too thin.” NOUR NAJEM: “While the ‘prayer beads’ affixed in all manners to her Bethlehem-esque collection swayed with spirituality (a theme extended by the soundtrack), the intricate patterns were a nod to the geometric designs of modern Middle Eastern architecture.” LA TERRE EST FOLLE: “Carrying out the appropriate strategy of presenting a memorable signature with his introductory show, Arida featured streetwear separates layered with a veil of sheer netting. It’s no surprise that this designer has a past in advertising—clearly, he has a sense of what sells today.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

HÂSHÉ

“The Iranian designer featured a largely monochromatic collection with tuxedo looks so sleek you couldn’t help but look twice—and when you did, Hashemi’s details revealed a hint of magic.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

YOUSEF AL-JASMI

“His clientele certainly didn’t #wakeuplikethis—she is looking for the wow factor, which is exactly what she gets with Al-Jasmi’s 100% crystalized gowns or beaded numbers with hundreds of fringes, a fit for both J-Lo and J-Lo wanabees alike.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

AIISHA RAMADAN

“There were, however, two individual highlights: the black skirt with vertical white lines, which elongated the silhouette and created a playful optical illusion as the lines converged when the model walked, and the satin skirt featuring skyscrapers was also on-point—sexy, cool, covetable. Now, if only the other 21 (out of the 23) looks had that same appeal.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

MARAL

“The parade of eveningwear, tulle, and black sequins; the medieval black and gold embroidery gown with gloves; and the metallic cropped top and skirt made us wonder if the collection was done by one designer, or many.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

ARWA AL BANAWI

“Against a white backdrop, she showcased masculine tailoring sprayed in multi-colored hues, all part of a calculated ‘90s fashion statement that should appeal to a Gen X crowd keen to make a playful nod to the past.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

BAZAZA

“Based on ‘Luna,’ a bloody story about a woman who falls in love with a wolf only to find herself eaten by the object of her desire, the collection featured a fabric mashup reminding of the work of Nicolas Ghesquière: python, mesh, lace, silk, silk jersey, velvet, and wool, were used to create sculptural numbers made of fabric strands, a nod to Bazaza’s love of architecture.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

BOUGUESSA

“Designers from this region are often keen to forge an ‘East meets West’ signature and make Oriental designs appealing to Western women in order to cast their nets as widely as possible. It feels like Bouguessa is focused on the opposite. With this collection, entirely made of lightweight viscose fabric save for a few sturdier detachable inserts, she took a few Western staples and ‘Arabized’ them.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

JEAN LOUIS SABAJI

“It is safe to say that Jean Louis Sabaji has an obsession with flowers. For this collection, more so than any other, he let his monomania take over. His Femme Fleur (‘flower woman,’ dear to designers like Christian Dior, who also had a thing for gardens) was sometimes innocent, other times dangerous, beautiful but also strange-looking and sultry—a reflection of nature itself.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

LAMA JOUNI

“Her aesthetic is appealing enough—she showed strong and seductive looks with streamlined tailoring. But her work needs some nips and tucks before it can be praised (and perhaps a little more innovation as well).” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

ZAREENA

“To the untrained eye, the dresses may have all appeared to be a variation of the same theme—and they were—but take a closer inspection of the 40 looks and one will note a gentle obsession with detail. Grecian-styled dresses with richly embroidered gold hems served as a backdrop for embroidered olive branches, a symbol of peace.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

THREE FIFTY NINE

“With this collection, we got a glimpse into Sayed’s potential as a designer: she printed her loaned art on quality fabrics and cut them beautifully. Just as anyone with a beginner’s understanding in how to hang a painting knows, the right backdrop is essential as is the lighting. Here, satin did the honors and it showcased the colors and the prints with aplomb.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

DANEH

“There’s an increasing market for elevated leisure and sportswear. And after seeing these stylish pieces, we couldn’t help but wonder how good all of this would have looked in color.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

TALLER MARMO

“Dressed in a jean jacket and trousers sprouting ostrich feathers, this woman, in all her natural splendor, was a vision—and if her confidence made her relevant, her outfit made her hip.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

SAID MAHROUF

“These looks had us wishing that the Moroccan designer could restyle some of our favorite Arab celebrities and draw them into his non-embellished yet attention-grabbing world. Nancy Ajram, in her newfound, no-fuss style would actually look great in Mahrouf’s vivid orange jumpsuit.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

HOUSE OF NOMAD

“The trick worked. Stand-outs included monochromatic looks in tweed for him and her, featuring palazzo pants and beautifully draped skirts. House of Nomad’s school is in session, and it looks to be well-attended this season.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

MAUZAN

“The collection should have served from much tighter editing, bringing the 37 looks down to 20; coincidentally, all of the turquoise numbers looked hastily done and cheaper than the burgundy, beige, and black numbers, resulting in a tempered Fashion Forward debut.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

MADIYAH AL SHARQI

“The lace, both up-close and from afar, revealed beautiful technique and an exclusive pattern. Taking this old-world craft and featuring it on zip jackets with sporty cinched sleeves produced strong, wearable separates for many an occasion and across geographies.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

AMATO

“Strip down the Anna Karenina-meets-goth-meets-denim inspiration and you are left with some of the most covetable skirts we’ve seen in a long time: denim skirts belted with a bow or knee-length with frills at the back.” Read the full review here, and watch the complete show.

Fashion Forward Season 5 Runway Roundup