Caroline Dalal
Fashion Meets Heritage: For Autumn/Winter 2025, Creative Director Hoor Al Qasimi collaborates with Māori artist Emily Karaka, blending ancestral narratives and contemporary design. The result is a collection that embodies cultural resilience and artistic expression.
The Art of Resistance: Karaka’s canvases, inspired by Māori history and land rights, translate into technicolored embroidery, bold brushstroke motifs, and powerful text etched onto QASIMI garments.
Modular Masterpieces: This collection elevates modular clothing, with zips, buttons, and adjustable seams enabling wearers to transform pieces—like A-line skirts that spiral into sculptural forms.
Palette of Depth: Rich tones of brown and sand, accented by indigo, maroon, and golden turmeric, are woven with luxurious textures like jacquards and frayed seams.
Inspired by “He Kakano Ahau”: Karaka’s iconic painting, which features lyrics celebrating Māori heritage, serves as a central motif. Its intertwining red, black, and blue hues mirror the waves and bloodlines central to the Māori story.
Silhouettes with Soul: Middle Eastern and North African influences shine through louche shirts and loose trousers, while slouchy windbreakers and worn-in hoodies exude relaxed elegance.
A Canvas for Collaboration: The garments become canvases where Karaka’s etchings and imagery are reimagined, each piece narrating the shared struggle of indigenous peoples worldwide.
Tailored Ease: QASIMI’s signature tailoring is refreshed with curved shoulders and roomy fits, striking a balance between structure and casual sophistication.
Textural Innovations: The collection introduces trompe l’oeil effects that mimic mohair, adding an avant-garde touch to already luxurious fabrics.
Solidarity in Style: Karaka’s work not only focuses on Māori rights but also extends solidarity to global indigenous struggles, creating a universal resonance through fashion.
Artistic Precision: Every design element reflects meticulous artistry, from intricate embroidery to spatial runway concepts curated by Hydra Design and Bon Amis Production.
A Call to Collaboration: As Al Qasimi highlights, “Collaboration is vital in a divided world.” The AW25 collection stands as a testament to unity, creativity, and cultural pride.