2023-11-15 11:59:32
When we think deeply regarding the responsibility that fashion carries, we find that the physical aspects of aesthetics, design and self-expression are the obvious answers to this multi-dimensional question. But with development, research and technology capable of solving many problems, avoiding any mistakes and significantly improving the creative and construction process, and all the commercial aspects that follow, we find that a strategy in which one of its basic pillars is ethical responsibility is non-negotiable. Fashion’s greatest responsibility today is to strike a balance between profit and mission. Creativity itself is the mental capacity and ability to imagine wildly, find solutions and continually grow with an acute curiosity for “what” and “why,” and when we come to the point of asking “how?” Creative ideas turn into noble actions.
Actions that have the potential to contribute to changing the business model, reducing the looming fears and anxieties of the fashion industry’s massive environmental footprint, and reducing the impact on a large scale one idea at a time, gradually, and effectively becoming the brand’s core practice and core. From raw materials used, careful calculations of wasted materials, and their reduction to the concept of circular solutions to growing problems.
There are designers of this generation who devote their creative resources to service at all levels, and refuse to compromise the message for the sake of commerce, and ethics for the sake of aesthetics.
Designer Mohammed bin Shalal… engineer of fabrics and structural elegance
Sustainability was not a principle adopted by the Dutch-born, Moroccan-origin designer, Mohammed Ben Challal. Rather, it was the practical approach he adopted at the beginning of his career due to the limited resources available to him. His creativity in design was born from his creative idea and the transformation of neglected materials into pieces of art that were embodied in the form of clothing pieces. Ben Challal is an artist and designer whose talent emerged from the depth of sustainability in its true sense.
Designer Mohammed bin Shalal
Mohammed Bin Shallal established his brand in 2015, and he did not let the challenge of the limited resources available to him become an obstacle, but rather turned it into a noble characteristic that makes up the DNA of his brand, and a competitive advantage with which he addresses his selective customers who are naturally attracted to artistic elegance and craftsmanship composed of ethical elements. To form a rare combination of luxury and sublime efforts, he faced the challenge by employing remaining fabrics and stagnant goods in his designs.
In an enriching conversation with designer Mohammed Bin Shalal, I learned regarding his sustainable approach and the creative process that characterizes his famous brand. He says: “Starting with scraps and leftover materials was not a conscious choice for the brand, but rather it was a necessity to survive, and to start the brand without financial support.” The affordability of these materials has allowed the brand to establish itself within limited resources. However, this approach has now become an integral part of the design philosophy. By continually working with leftover fabric and dead stock, the brand is able to maintain its commitment to sustainability while embracing the challenge “Creating something extraordinary from limited resources.”
From the designs of Muhammad bin ShalalFrom the designs of Muhammad bin Shalal
In addition to working with wasted and leftover materials, there is an amazing strategy that the designer has taken to diversify the methods and techniques that lead to sustainability, which is recycling leftovers from old collections, to create a new collection: “One of the notable things that we practice sustainability in is working with dead materials and leftover fabrics. Instead By letting these materials go to waste, the brand recycles them to design and create new collections. This approach not only reduces waste in the fashion industry, but also adds a unique touch to Bin Shalal’s designs. Each collection is born from the available materials and fabrics, which makes it a challenge. For the brand to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, the brand’s design philosophy became: “The available amount of materials and textures determines the outcome of the design.”
The designs of this award-winning designer boast of their clear structure that demonstrates their presence through distinctive silhouettes, and his attraction to adopting bold colors that Ben Shallal builds, to reflect the strength of women in their femininity, and he manipulates volumes and dimensions in a dramatic way that radiates luxury and exudes timeless elegance.
When I look at the creations of this young designer, I cannot help but stop and contemplate the precision of the details, the sharp designs, the clarity of their lines and stability, and the subtlety of his concept of returning to the Moroccan heritage and traditional fashions that he reinterprets and highlights in his designs and looks for evening occasions.
The fabrics used by the designer have a large role that plays a major role in the distinction equation and the emergence of the artistic identity that these creations possess. It has always been fragile despite its rigidity, delicate and solid at the same time. He works to shape it with extreme precision, like a textile engineer who brings an attractive and vibrant drawing with expressive brush strokes to reality.
Today, Mohammed Ben Challal stands as a promising designer with shining stardom and an impressive list of women who have worn his signature, including Queen Rania, American actress Sharon Stone, singer Alicia Keys, and American businesswoman and famous interior designer Iris Apfel on Eid. Her hundredth birthday.
Designed by Mohammed bin Shalal
“Bin Shalal” is a luxury fashion brand that is successful by all standards and has a legacy in the making of creativity, innovation and ethical orientation. When I asked him regarding his future goals for his distinguished brand and its unique approach, Ben Shalal gave a poetic answer that invited me to think deeply regarding the whole system of the world of fashion and the precision of the calendar and appointments and its pressures, and that the exceptional designer’s thinking is interesting, surprising, refreshing and flowing: “I have never been one of People who follow a meticulously laid out road map, or stick to one pre-defined goal. Instead, I have always been driven by an unwavering passion and enthusiasm for design that has guided my journey. In my opinion, true growth and success should arise organically, like seeds sprouting from fertile soil, rather than From coercion or coercion.”
Ben Challal continues by saying: “Life has a funny way of surprising us, and leading us down unknown paths that we never expected. The universe did not always give me what I wanted, but it constantly provided me with exactly what I needed, often at the most important junctures in my life. Maybe it is fate, or maybe it is fate.” Just the essence of my name, (Ben Shalal) which means “son of the waterfall”. Life, as I understand it, reflects the unpredictable flow of a waterfall. It is regarding embracing the twists and turns, the waterfalls and the lakes, and following your unique current, your individual narrative. Just as a river navigates its course through diverse terrain “We must also navigate our lives, allowing our passions to guide us without reservation.”
He concludes the rich dialogue with a profound, inspiring realization: “To all those who may wonder regarding my unconventional journey, I say: I have chosen the road less traveled, the path of emotion and intuition. I have chosen to be a child of the waterfall, to embrace the unpredictability of life, and to let my creativity flow.” “Freely. And in doing so I found my own version of success, which is very satisfying and unique.”
Saudi designer Youssef Akbar… In addition to the boldness and distinction in his artistic identity, Akbar possesses a great sense of responsibility
In the world of art, there are special moments that crystallize when you admire a painting or a unique work of art that takes you from the feeling of momentary fascination and the magnetism of attraction to the desire to know more regarding its maker, and then dive into the depth of exploration. These moments undoubtedly exist in the world of fashion, where a striking design leads you to know the creative power possessed by its designer. I encountered this moment when my attention was caught by a design that was part of the fashion show held in Paris in July of this year, at the “Ritz” Hotel, which was organized by Fashion Authority for designers participating in the “100 Saudi Brands” initiative.
Saudi designer Yousef Akbar
A black dress appeared on stage, with a flowing cut, a round neck, and full sleeves that extended to cover the hands. The dress was completely covered with thin fibers protruding from its surface, moving with every step the model took, very similar to the effect of feathers, but it was not like that.
This unique dress is signed by Saudi designer Yousef Akbar. In this article, the designer tells me in an exclusive interview the idea behind this design: “I love the look of feathers, and it is well known that the process of extracting natural feathers is anti-sustainability or ethical approach. So I thought how can I achieve the look without compromising on any of the principles of them, and I naturally like to doubt And the shine. So the goal was to work with beads that looked like feathers, but weren’t feathers. And I was looking at all these materials and eventually I found fishing wire, and I thought what if I had a light bead, and I put it on top of this fishing wire, and somehow I might make it stick and hold. I was able to achieve this, and I was very happy with the result
The reaction the design received, given that it was an experimental design and we were going to not include it in the collection, is in the end a very fortunate thing.”
Creative thinking, challenging capabilities and resources, and an ethical orientation centered in just one of the designer’s designs are sufficient to give an introductory overview of the lofty goal that “Youssef Akbar” seeks during his career, and who developed and transformed his thriving brand that was formed, and the sustainability approach is one of its basic goals: “ When I started my brand, I knew that starting a non-sustainable fashion brand was not an option, and it would not be right to create this house without caring for the environment. The reason and motivation that made me start my own brand is that I wanted to be innovative and creative, and I wanted to do something “I feel good regarding it, and if I don’t do it the right way, I won’t feel good regarding it, so sustainability was one of the top priorities.”
Akbar’s designs are characterized by boldness in his use of strong, bright colors and his manipulation of fabrics, creating an attractive contrast in size and density throughout his designs. We also see his inclinations for sparkle, femininity, and love of elegance, and his personal skills are evident in delicate twisting and pleating. His signature craft shines in the use of chains as metal adornments, adding a strong, sharp presence to some of his designs.
Designed by Yousef AkbarDesigned by Yousef Akbar
His external artistic identity is no less important than his practical identity and the message that this promising designer aspires to deliver and implement in its best form, as the message of sustainability is achieved through the continuous attempt and efforts made to innovate with new solutions that increase its percentage during the creative process. Akbar believes that the fashion industry is one of the industries that contribute most to the amount of environmental pollution, and that practices must be found that reduce the overall impact of the fashion industry: “I believe that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and we have a responsibility not to work in this way anymore. “A lot of people talk regarding cars, regarding fossil fuels and agriculture, but to be honest, fashion and the way it consumes and the way it pollutes is a big responsibility that everyone has.”
Designed by Youssef Akbar
When talking regarding sustainability as a concept, it is difficult to imagine the many and varied methods and techniques in design and the creative process that can achieve this goal, so I asked the designer what he believes can achieve sustainability the most, and reach new heights in the fashion industry? He replied: “First of all, I don’t think there is a brand that is 100 percent sustainable, but you can always try to be sustainable, as much as possible. The most obvious ways to implement sustainable actions is through new materials. There are a lot of new materials that are truly sustainable, where the manufacturing process is low carbon. It does not produce any waste, and the fabrics that are produced allow them to be completely renewable. Technology also has an effective hand in achieving sustainability. Akbar adds: “Technology in recent years is one of the methods that is seen in developing methods of sustainability and reducing waste and wastage. You can make and sell clothes without sewing them and wasting a lot of fabric and a lot of materials through a 3D digital system. We use this kind of technology, by having all the patterns and cuts, and all the pleating done digitally, online and tried on a digital mannequin or avatar. Once we get close enough to the desired design, we proceed to the final experiment on a real person. This saves regarding 60 to 70 percent of our material waste. There is also the principle of transparency, as customers can see the entire process from the source of fabrics and fabrics to the final result, which helps people take responsibility, and helps the designer make better decisions.”
During this exciting conversation with Yousef Akbar, I became truly certain that the challenge calls for innovation. Sustainability as a goal sets boundaries in the creative process and the passionate designer applies the principle of sustainability and the ethical approach on many levels, including the number of collections he launches annually: “We produce one collection a year, and sometimes two, and the reason behind that is to try to be more sustainable. We don’t like the idea of “Pushing a lot of products into the market, we like to keep it focused and distinct. We want people who buy dresses to feel like they’re buying something, which isn’t going to be replaced in a couple of months. For me sustainability is really close to the idea of lasting longer.”
In the interview, he told us regarding his happiness with displaying his collection’s fashions at Riyadh Fashion Week, which was held last month. He said: “It is very important, because it is the first official week, and when it is the first, it is very important, a huge opportunity, and a great honor for me for sure.”
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