Nadine Mustafa Worldly and courageous, always exploring new horizons when it comes to fashion. Rami Kadi finds women and their allure to have always been a reservoir for insight and inspiration for all majestic sculptures and compositions. Regardless of the spectrum or the province, writers, artists, and sonnet composers; all admired the embodiment of Les femmes. No question, anything can be kadi-fied, from haute couture to classic-glam, from 1960s Belle du Jour to modernism. In that sense, it’s a glorification of fashion over clothing, of style above transitory trends. What is it that the spectacular Rami is in charge of relieving us from? The restrictions themselves. For the first time in Egypt, we got the privilege of meeting the designer and having a heartfelt conversation full of passion, commitment, and originality during the debut of his current ‘RETROSPECTIVE 10’ collection. We accompany him on a voyage into the world of couture, the dreams, obstacles, and recollections of an early start, at ‘Walk of Cairo,’ themed after Carnaby Street in London.
How and when did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career as a designer? Frankly, I don’t recall when I wanted to do fashion. My mum used to tell me I was very young, around the age of three, when I first started to showcase some signs of interest in clothes. I remember playing around with her clothes, wanting to style her and see different looks, then I used to dress-up dolls and barbies in their glam-malibu fits and into colorful sparkly pieces. I loved art in all its forms, be it painting, drawing, or cutting pieces of illustrated designs and putting them together. It grew with me since then and you can say, I never stopped!
Did you study fashion and design? And where? Indeed, I did the study for it. I graduated from ESMOD in 2018, applied to Starch foundation, a non-profit foundation founded by Rabih Kayrouz, Tala Hajjar, and in collaboration with Solidere that helps launch Lebanese emerging designers. They took me in and supported me ever since.
When did you start your first collection? My first collection under my name was in 2011 when I opened my showroom in Beirut.
Can you share with us more about your latest collection for the 10th anniversary? This collection is called ‘RETROSPECTIVE 10’, we took all the iconic pieces of Le Maison de Rami Kadi, FW ’21 collection titled, Dessiner le Vide. Pieces that were highlighted throughout this journey on the red carpet, celebrities’ most popular dresses, and eternal pieces. The Retrospective 10 collection consists exclusively of ten pieces. The designs mark back to revisiting milestone dresses and fusing the ideas and creativity to bring out something new. In contrast with the chromatic boldness that usually typifies Rami Kadi Maison de Couture, “Retrospective 10” bases itself on metallic colors such as gold, silver, platinum, and bronze. The designs of the collection were created upon digging into my archives and exploring the past ten years of work. Ultimately, the selection process was based on two key criteria: signature status and endorsement.
Why did you choose Walk of Cairo to showcase your newest collection for the very first time in Egypt? I was very impressed by the Walk of Cairo, how beautiful, luxurious and modern it is. Inspired by Carnaby Street, London, it is a unique place, such a mesmerizing space and I am honored to be celebrating my collection in Egypt – the city that is booming among the Arab countries.
What was the most valuable thing you learned since you started your career? I learned various things along the way. Everything I learned was from my own mistakes throughout the journey, all the techniques used, the way we dye colors and fabrics, how we do the marketing and run a fashion brand. It wasn’t an easy road but I am so grateful to where it got me today.
Do you use computers and technology for designing? Or what kind of technique do you prefer for illustration? I do not draw. This is an only-must if I am requested to illustrate a customized dress for a client on the spot. When I create, it is entirely about what idea I have in mind, the way I mold it and fold the fabrics, and so on, but the drawing comes last when I create. I like to create my version of a mood-board or a vision board where I build layers of tones and fabrics in small details that add up to the bigger picture and vision. I find it an expressive way to interpret what I feel and see.
And how would you describe yourself if you were a piece of clothes? What would you be? Very modern, I love to always be up-to-date, stand out and follow sustainability and technology.
What was the biggest rookie mistake you made when just starting? Sometimes you get too excited or influenced by social media, you want to take the brand to a place where it doesn’t necessarily belong. Maybe invest all your time and effort into making this happen quick-paced. But, I learned that your happy place can be different from the others.
What is one trend you wish to bring back? If I can say the 50’s fashion. The way they strolled in elegance with their clothes flattering their accentuated waists. You can see in all of my collections that everything has a corset base and the shape of the waist is extremely important to me.
What advice would you give to an aspiring designer who wants to make it in this industry? I think the most important thing I’ve learned and knew, to be a designer is not to be fooled by what the social media projects, the celebrities, the fancy world, the private jets are all in for a fraction of the picture. It’s extremely hard to get to what you want, I had to work for hours and hours, did everything from scratch with zero employees at first, whether it’s cleaning, pinning, sewing and stitching. Only then, this dream became a reality. You will find yourself more involved in the process like I was, and more experienced to manage a successful business.
Which celebrity that you see as an icon, would you like to dress? I don’t have a specific name to say now. But Dita Von Teese comes to mind when we speak about an iconic woman. I already dressed her for Giorgio Moroder’s 2nd Anniversary in LA.
