One of the region’s most prominent fashion designers is gearing up to introduce a ready-to-wear collection.
Known for his glamorous and intricate couture creations, Rami Al Ali is now ready to jump into the world of prêt-a-porter for the first time.
“I’ve been avoiding it for quite some time. Couture is my passion, but prêt is the new world language and every designer needs to speak it,” he said.
The Dubai-based Syrian designer has been in the fashion industry for more than a decade, held half a dozen couture shows in Italy and is now showcasing his elegant gowns in Paris, the fashion capital of the world.
His Jumeirah atelier counts the likes of Beyoncé, Kerry Washington and Kelly Roland among his clients and he is experiencing an influx of requests from all around the world.
“Prêt-a-porter is a lot of work, but it’s more of a global language than couture. That’s why now, especially after moving to Paris, the prêt line is a necessity and not an option anymore,” Al Ali said.
“We have a lot of requests from people that have seen the couture from Brazil, Russia and China, but it is not an easy product to sell overseas. They are very interested in the style, in the name and in the creativity of the brand. That’s why we need to offer something that is easier to sell than couture.”
Prêt-a-porter is certainly a more bankable form of fashion than the exclusive and custom-made couture. It’s easier to sell, easier to make, easier to distribute and, of course, easier to wear.
With prêt, a designer can designate the manufacturing of hundreds of units rather than the work-laden nature of couture that, in Al Ali’s case, requires a team of 6 to 25 people to make a single dress in four to six weeks.
The logistics are another advantage prêt has over couture; everyday clothes can be easily folded, packaged and shipped, as opposed to the fragility of evening gowns that need to be handled with extreme care.
“I don’t like to step back. That’s why it was taking quite some time to get the right formula. But now, we’re in the final stage – almost – of finalising some technical issues,” Al Ali said.
“We are trying to target the next season, which is March-April, to launch the next capsule collection. Hopefully we’ll experience the same level of success that we did in the couture line, only faster.”
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