Mood board: The work of designers today is clicked and swiped in-and-out of multiple contexts stretching across the globe. The notes for Khalid Al Qasimi’s show opened with a reference to ongoing tension in the Middle East. It isn’t easy to challenge or influence political ideologies with clothes, but Qasimi’s childhood, growing up in the United Arab Emirates, is never far from his research. For S/S20 he explored familiar territory, looking at the notion of urban nomads and utopian ideas of the future. This time, the look was lighter and relaxed. Sun-bleached and sensual.
Best in show: Military references are at the core of menswear and most often influence the cut and shape of garments; here they guided the textile. Military canvas and heavy twills were used in clothes that had a rippling sensuality. A pale pink ripstop tracksuit was sheer; silk jelabas unbuttoned at the sides revealed a naked torso. Dimpled technical seersucker suits possessed a chic calm. Knitted racer back vests shaped an athletic body. Some pieces were riveted together, perverting the nuts and bolts of armoured fighting vehicles.
Sound bite: Qasimi was feeling hopeful this season: ‘Coming from the Middle East we have a duty to discuss politics and push things forward, the messages are political quite often but I am also really just expressing myself in the only way I know how – through fashion. I want people to be able to relate to a sense of hope and liberation,’ he said. §
