On Tuesday, Beirut-based couturier Rami Kadi presented his Spring 2019 Couture collection at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris in the presence of editors, buyers, insiders, and brand loyalists including Fajer Fahad, Araya Hargate, Camila Coelho, and Olivia Palermo. Although the Lebanese designer has presented his collections during Paris Couture Week for the past couple of seasons, this Spring 2019 show marked the first time he showcases in a runway format.
“The shapes are sharp, the beads are strong, the women are daring, everybody’s free!” exclaimed Kadi to Vogue.me ahead of the show, which he reveals was inspired by Burning Man, a community-oriented festival that takes place in Black Rock Desert, Nevada once a year and celebrates free-spirited, boundary-pushing sartorial expression. However, in lieu of tutus, goggles, and fuzzy leg-warmers, Kadi churned out a more grown-up, wearable take on festival fashion that was more seaside suite than playa.
Rami Kadi Spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Patrick Sawaya
Opening the “Burning Man”-inspired show was Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha, who floated down the runway wearing a rainbow, sequin-striped, fringed party dress. The look was elevated with a pair of embellished pumps created by Poise Design‘s Emma Boutros, who collaborated with the designer on the footwear that the models marched down the runway with. The opening look paved the way for an eccentric lineup of evening gowns in varying silhouettes and hemlines, fully-embellished leggings, asymmetric silk jackets worn over sequined jumpsuits, holographic wide trousers, draped silk gowns, and partial-sleeved lurex blazers with sharp shoulders. For a dazzling touch, Kadi embroidered tiny, laser-cut plexi glass and crystal grains into materials like tweed and silk. Some of the models marched down the runway wearing extravagant headpieces dreamed up by Brazil-based headdress designer Atelier Bruna Abreu, further adding to the overall “haute boho” vibe of the collection.
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