Aiisha Ramadan
The New Face of Couture
Young, talented and taking the region by storm, Aiisha Ramadan is a 25 year-old Lebanese fashion designer whose Dubai based atelier proves Arab style gurus are on the rise…
Born in Lebanon and raised in Dubai, fashion comes naturally to 25-year-old Aiisha Ramadan who is taking the region’s fashion industry by storm with her stunning high-end line Aiisha. With a major in Fashion Design from the American University in Dubai, Ramadan’s innate flair for style has already won her numerous awards, including Young Designer of the Year 2000 by Swarovski in the eveningwear category. “I always knew I wanted to be a designer,” she says. “I loved drawing for as long as I can remember and when I was younger, I used to always hand stitch my own Barbie clothes.”
In 2006 Ramadan launched her debut line with Swarovski as her sponsor; and in April of 2007 her first high-end prêt-a-porter line was featured during Dubai’s International Fashion Week. Galvanized by anything and everything, Ramadan describes her creations as “ideas that float around and evolve into a design.” Counting the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Valentino personal inspirations, her love for all things timeless has caught the attention of the UAE’s elite. “I create my designs with a bold unique woman in mind; a woman who is daring enough to go wild from time to time.” This fresh face of couture is a self-confessed lover of the cut and tailoring, rather than well-worn bling, choosing to focus on the silhouette and craftsmanship. “I use all kinds of materials and I love to experiment,” explains Ramadan, who creates a seasonal prêt-a-porter line for the style conscious working woman as well as a high-end haute couture collection. “Every single design I make is something that I would die to wear.”
Nokia count themselves amongst her corporate fans, having recently asked her to create a collection based on the NOKIA 7900 Prism handset. The resulting Aiisha PRISM 7900 line is a fashion wonderland of geometric lines, clean silhouettes and hues of pink, silver and blue. “It’s very wearable, feminine and classy… just like the phone,” she says. “It was very different from what many people would expect from a fashion collection based on a mobile phone!”
This newlywed is also currently working on her upcoming collection for Spring/Summer 2009, which will be showcased at the Dubai Fashion Week in October this year. “My husband is incredibly supportive, he keeps me grounded and inspired. I love that we can be ourselves around one another each other, giving and taking support and inspiring one another.”
