Lebanese designer Rami Kadi revealed his spring summer 2018 collection on the 23rd of January during Paris Fashion Week. Bal de Rue or Street Ball reflects the era of Nouvelle Couture, a powerful movement that destroys the status quo. The elegance of classic 1950s Hollywood merges with edgy urban street style. Rami mixes old practices with new materials and techniques to create new standards. For this collection he travelled through time.
Bal de Rue includes princess dresses with embroidered t-shirts, dress shirts, hoodies and tops inspired by sports bras. The pieces are decorated with crystals, classic pearls, holographic sequins and feathers. Fabrics include PVC (!), satin duchesse and tulle. In-line with the Nouvelle Couture theme, Rami added a remarkable and bold detail to his designs: hash tags embroidered with crystals on black fabric. They give the idea of scrolling marquee letters, making a statement in sparkling letters instead of LED.
This collection is rebellious, sporty, tomboyish yet elegant and lavish (can I say that in one sentence? Rami made it possible). The first time I browsed through the looks one name popped into my head Millie Bobby Brown. This 13 year old actress shines in the Netflix TV show ‘Stranger Things’ and is already growing into a Hollywood it-girl at such a young age. She reminds us of Natalie Portman, but has an edge to her like Rooney Mara. I could see Millie in these designs. Ball de Rue is young Hollywood. Its Janelle Monáe who combines suit & tie with feminine flair or Rihanna who wears what she wants and doesn’t give a # what people think. The young ones with knowledge of art & culture who don’t fit into one box…or any box for that matter.
We could say Rami is somewhat of a rebel himself. Starting out his career making fairy tales come to life with his designs, but very quickly he started to distinguish himself. Yes, the breath taking ball gowns are still there, but Rami likes to experiment and pushes the boundaries. Ball the Rue is yet another collection showing Rami is one to watch. He is going to keep surprising us. I can’t wait to see what is next!
