Yesterday, Tunisian designer Ali Karoui presented his Fall 2014 Couture collection at the World of Fashion event, an off-schedule runway show held at the St Regis Hotel during Alta Roma —his first runway show on an international level.
Prior to debuting his new Couture collection in Rome, the designer made a name for himself by showcasing his risqué-looking evening gowns at Fashion Week Tunis (FWT) and dressing several Arab celebrities such as models Kenza Fourati and Hanaa Ben Abdesslem. The World of Fashion organizers spotted Karoui’s red carpet creations at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and invited him to be part of their young designer event.
The World of Fashion runway show introduced other up-and-coming designers, including Lebanese designer Toufic Hatab, but Karoui closed the show with his Couture creations. “The organizers from World of Fashion contacted me after seeing Yasmine Tordjman Besson [the spouse of French politician Éric Besson] wearing one of my designs on the red carpet in Cannes,” enthused the young designer after his show. “The experience of showcasing in Rome helped me to take more responsibility for my work; it’s a one-of-kind opportunity for a Tunisian designer.”
And Yasmine Tordjman Besson wasn’t the only one to support the young designer––Tunisian model Rym Saīdi, who has worked with Elie Saab and Roberto Cavalli, among others, walked for Karoui’s Fall 2014 Couture show in a floor-skimming, delicately embroidered, cream colored evening gown.
“I mostly work on French and Italian lace that I embroider by hand. This type of hand-made embroidery work is a distinctive element of my designs,” Karoui said when talking about his gowns, which came with opulent embroidered adornments, in somber shades of black and anthracite, girly pastel hues, and cream tones.
“I received many propositions to showcase my collections abroad ever since I got the official endorsement of World of Fashion,” Karoui concluded. “But my goal is to have my dresses worn on the red carpet, to establish my brand on an international level, and to be able to produce several collections a year.” In other words, a young designer’s dream.
Elisabeta Tudor
