In its second collaboration, Irthi’s women artisans skillfully reinterpret traditional Emirati weaving and macramé techniques for QASIMI’s global, design-savvy audience
The timeless aesthetics of the traditional Emirati Safeefah weaving, handcrafted by skilled women artisans under the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council (Irthi), has once again inspired the luxurious runway collection of iconic London-based fashion brand, QASIMI.
Qasimi’s new Autumn-Winter collection celebrates freedom of expression through the exploration of culture and subculture with the handcrafted creations of women artisans under Irthi’s Bidwa Social Development Programme. By merging Emirati crafts and artisanal techniques with cutting-edge design and innovation, the Bidwa programme is creating a valued women-artisan economy to secure the social and economic future of its artisans and preserve the handmaking heritage of the UAE.Deliberate contrasts of texture, colour, and materials form the understated signature
of the AW22 collection and bring the season’s silhouettes to life.
Commenting on the partnership, Her Excellency Reem BinKaram, Director, NAMA, said: “The worlds of fashion and craft have long been symbiotic. Using the mastery of traditional craft techniques to create contemporary, purposeful pieces that embrace new technologies and design interventions, pushes the boundaries of both craft and fashion and ensures that the handmade and the artisanal remain relevant for the future.”
Bin Karam added: “Irthi’s continued collaboration with QASIMI builds on the success of our previous partnership and is strengthened both by our shared rootedness in the Middle Eastern heritage and our evolution as global brands on the world stage. In line with the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Founder and Chairperson of Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, our collaboration with Qasimi supports both local crafts and artisans and ensures that the artistic expression and design philosophy of our craftswomen reach a wider platform.”
Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council is committed to the socioeconomic empowerment of women in crafts through the development of sustainable, woman-valued crafts communities across the Middle East, North Africa, as well as Southeast and Central Asia. It seeks to preserve and promote Emirati craft heritage through engaging young generations with practitioners and their crafts legacy.
QASIMI is a London-based fashion brand founded in 2015 by the late Khalid Al Qasimi. The brand, now managed by its Creative Director Hoor Al Qasimi, focuses on crafting understated and refined garments that reflect its multicultural origins.
