Style & Design
Originally published on Tuesday, 16th September 2008
Reem
This season instead of a catwalk show Reem and her stylist Harris Elliott created an installation. The theme seemed to be an enchanted picnic space on the banks of the Seine as in a Renoir painting, what the French call a "guingette". This was totally reflected in the exquisite clothes themselves, which again somehow reflected a French sensibility.
The static display allowed visitors to examine each outfit individually and savour the workmanship and detailing within each piece. An ombree grey to ivory organza dress was teamed with a heavily stitched "inside out" silk tussore miniature gilet featuring a panel of immense black pailletes. A chalk white trench displayed a bustle of inky black organza ruffle and taffeta bow.
Tiny fairy like stitches restrained cascades of white cambric cotton, or a camouflage printed bonnet sprouted both a waterfall of jet fringe and a bouquet of black peonies. The concept of re-using heritage pieces or re- inventing vintage may not be new but no one practices the art of dense layering and intense workmanship like Reem. The magical transformation of both fabric and construction into new timeless pieces is truly revealed in this collection as both original and an art.
