Echoic memory: a phenomenon where the mind acts like a ‘holding tank’ because sounds cannot be processed until subsequent sounds are heard.
This is the concept behind, and name of, Faissal El-Malak’s Spring 2018 ready-to-wear collection. It’s the fourth collection from the 2017 DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize finalist, who is showcasing in the French capital as part of Paris Fashion Week. Drawing inspiration from mid-19th century pre-Raphaelite paintings, the emancipation of women’s fashion in the 1920s, and the creative energy of the 1990s, Echoic Memory is an eclectic walk down memory lane.
The nostalgic collection is given a modern, Middle Eastern style with the introduction of cultural elements and motifs. Like his work thus far, El-Malak’s latest offering also incorporates crafts from different Arab countries. While his second collection featured traditional handwoven silks from Tunisia, the Palestinian designer turned to fabrics and textiles from Yemen and Egypt for Spring 2018. Punctuated with embroidered coats, floor-skimming slip dresses, and crop tops made from traditional Yemeni fabric in punchy pops of orange, green, and blue hues, El-Malak, who grew up in Doha and Montreal and studied fashion design in Paris for six years at the Atelier Chardon Savard, lets his structured tailored pieces take center stage. The embroidered coat in striped cotton is primed for the cooler Arabian nights soon to come.
Peruse the slides ahead for El-Malak’s Spring 2018 lookbook.
