QASIMI SS24 Mirrors Sudan's Cultural Greatness With Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq

London-based brand QASIMI often crosses cultural boundaries, merging several through intimate garments that tell a story. QASIMI’s sleek and minimalistic designs reflect its founder’s Middle Eastern heritage with a contemporary outlook.

Presenting on the first day of London Fashion Week, the label welcomed guests into the capital’s Somerset House and filled open-plan rooms with its Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Creative Director Hoor Al Qasimi touched on the current conflict in North Africa, mourning troubling times across Sudan.

The collection honored the work of Sudanese artist Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq, utilizing her captivating artwork across QASIMI’s modern silhouettes. The co-ed offering was split into “beading and transparency” and “portraits and embroidery” phases.

Cube-shaped beads formed modernist portraits on sheer tops, standing next to silk shirting, jumpsuits, and scarves adorned with monogram versions of Ishaq’s 2016 Composition paintings.

Elsewhere, technical denim hugs contemporary workwear silhouettes with faded edges and a hard-working aura, completing the collection with metallic ornaments that dangle from formal looks and exude enthusiastic appeal.

Hypebeast sits down with QASIMI’s Creative Director Hoor Al Qasimi to dive deeper into his SS24 collection.

Hypebeast: Where did you find inspiration for QASIMI’s SS24 collection?

Hoor Al Qasimi: Our main inspiration for SS24 comes from the work of prominent Sudanese painter Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq. I have known Kamala for quite some time and worked with her on a number of exhibitions. We are very honoured to have her collaborate with us this season and her enthusiasm towards the designs has been heartwarming. For this season, we are taking a number of key elements in Kamala’s work such as the establishment of the Crystalist group and her painting People in Crystal Cubes.

In what ways does the collection continue to blend Middle Eastern and British cultures?

Our exploration of proportions with craftsmanship, and the weaving in QASIMI’s core silhouettes and wardrobe classics of the carcoat, cotton shirts, denim jacket & jeans.

What was your design process for the collection like?

The process has been interesting, trying to infuse some of the themes of crystal cubes as well as taking from the tones used in Kamala’s palette. We tried to stay true to some of the work but also experiment with embroidery, such as the detail from the painting My Plant.

What do you hope it communicates to your audience?

We hope we can bring together the world of art and fashion in a way that can inspire people and create more conversations between the two disciplines. Hopefully, showcasing Kamala’s work will also bring a spotlight and awareness to the current situation in Sudan. It is devastating that this launch has come at this terrible moment that has affected many lives, and the painting we used for the large print Blues for Martyrs painted in 2022, which referenced the Khartoum massacre in 2019, feels especially poignant at the moment.

What can we expect to come in the future from QASIMI?

You can expect further collaborations with artists in various ways. With my experience in visual arts, I have worked with many brilliant artists who inspire me every day, it’s such a privilege to be able to bring their work to the world of fashion, in terms of aesthetics as well as strong messages, and themes.

Take a closer look at QASIMI’s SS24 collection in the gallery above. Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more show coverage this Fashion Month.

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