Ahmed Abdelrahman steered his label, which combines a sound understanding of Western tailoring with elements borrowed from traditional Eastern dressing, into a more athletic direction for spring.
To wit, the Dubai-born designer reworked a bisht, the cape that tribesmen put on for special occasions, as an edgy sweatshirt-coat-hybrid.
He deconstructed a kandora, originally a long-sleeve tunic favored by Arab men, to become a tank top. Done in a blend of light silk and Egyptian cotton and cut above the knee, the piece was like a luxe version of a basketball jersey, and, when matched with a baggy pair of light selvage denim Bermudas, had plenty of international street appeal.
Abdelrahman stayed clear of synthetics, using mostly cotton, dry jersey, cashmere, silk and sustainable hemp for a more “conscious collection,” as he put it.
