Pretty in prêt
▶ Syrian fashion designer Rami Al Ali tells Panna Munyal about the joys and challenges of creating his first-ever collection for kids
Many childrenswear collections, even those by high-fashion houses, are dominated by simple cuts, playful prints and the odd cartoon or superhero motif. But these are exactly the kinds of elements that you will not spot in Rami Al Ali’s debut childrenswear collection. The princess theme, so common in clothing for little girls, may run through the edit of five dresses, but the Syrian couturier’s collection is altogether more sophisticated, influenced as it is by his latest autumn/winter prêt-a-porter womenswear line.
“I decided to develop this capsule collection of evening gowns for little girls following repeated requests from couture clients for matching outfits for their daughters,” explains Al Ali. “Twinning has been in for a few years now, it’s become something quite natural and usual. We could see a lot of celebrities adopting the mum-and-me look and sporting matching outfits.”
Evening wear, with dense beadwork and intricate embroidery, are Al Ali’s speciality; his outfits are now a firm fixture on international runways, fashion weeks and red carpets. Accordingly, the childrenswear dresses are appliqued with textured beads and abstract artworks, and feature full-structured volumes and pleats, highlighted with linear designs and floral prints. Using rich fabrics such as mikado, tulle and silk, the collection is realised in wintry shades of fresh salmon, blue glass, crystal pink and shimmering champagne.
“I drew this collection from my inspiration of nature and light. Specifically, the light refracting off glaciers, with abstract frost and dramatic crystallisation. The collection illuminates and magnifies the beauty of nature by incorporating the colours found through the infusion of light,” explains Al Ali.
The designer says he envisions girls between the ages of 3 and 12 wearing his creations to big-ticket occasions. “These are formal gowns, and can be worn to important celebrations such as a wedding, a New Year’s Eve party, or a special birthday – any event for which a little girl would like to be dressed like her mum or look like a princess.” The outfits are priced from Dh3,500 each.
With his first mini-me collection, Al Ali joins a legion of brands that are foraying into childrenswear, from Paul Smith and Tommy Hilfiger, to Gucci, Fendi, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. Small clothes are obviously big business, as suggested by a report by Global Industry Analysts, which predicts that the childrenswear market will be worth $US291 billion (Dh1.06 trillion) by the end of 2020. “The ‘mini-me’ trend is interesting because there is an emotional component to it – that moment of dressing up with your child is a real draw for some,” says Candice Fragis, buying and merchandising director at Farfetch.com.
Al Ali adds: “Fashion is a part of our lifestyle; it reflects who we are and what our personality is. It could be as strong as a statement, but it is also a playful way to express ourselves. Fashion serves the whole family today, not only the women. [Such collections] are a way to strengthen those mumdaughter relationships.”
Al Ali says one of the challenges he faced was to adapt the luxurious femininity that his gowns are known for, and make it work for children. “Our challenge was to create a kidswear line that offers the exact same quality and high standards we maintain in our prêt-a-porter collection. This is why we used the silks and tulles, the sequins are kept identical, and the technique as detailed, but I think we managed to keep the femininity and elegance of our designs, but applied in a way that little girls will still look like little girls wearing those dresses.”