un moment avec Lee
Paris, France
For a show based on the themes of dark romance and the history of religion, there was a definite feeling of American Baseball in Qasimi Homme’s Fall 2012 show, with every model sporting a flat-brimmed baseball cap, and several variations on a baseball jacket appearing down the runway. And while his inspiration this season did come from uniforms, Khalid Al Qasimi was actually calling on a very different kind. Specifically uniforms of religious and military nature. A convergence of these two opposing forces through fashion is just another instance of Qasimi’s propensity to address socio-political themes in his collections. Eastern/Western romanticism and pragmatism respectively were manifested through his selection of fabrics, natural and synthetic, and pattern, organic and geometric. Through the combination and overlap of these qualities, the opposing themes came together.
Sufi skirts, inspired by the dancing of the whirling dervishes, were paired with organza button downs and latex tee shirts. Printed with a plaid motif, they contrasted the organic movement of the skirt, whose fullness created a rarely explored silhouette for the menswear runways. While the dramatic effect of the Sufi skirts was an interesting statement, the narrower floor length skirts seemed a bit more gender confused. The looks built on soft trousers and oversized pants brought it back in balance, and the baseball caps throughout were like a macho punctuation mark on even the most effeminate look. To push boundaries you have to take risks, which Qasimi didn’t hesitate to do this season. To his credit, those are the moves that push the audience out of their comfort zone, which can be refreshing. Qasimi seems to believe that if you have something to say, you might as well go all the way with it.
- Lee Anderson, Parisian Correspondent
Designer website: www.qasimi.com
