< PreviousT he ess ence of As hi 168-171_VISION_VOL2_ASHI.indd 16819/04/2024 07:53The stage is set. The gilded grandeur of Thé âtre du Châ telet is plunged into darkness, and plumes of smoke unfurl ahead of Ashi Studio’s Fall/ Winter 2023 show at Paris Couture Week. There could be no better – or more mysterious – mise-en-scène for Mohammed Ashi as he becomes the fi rst couturier from the Gulf to be invited as a guest member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. “This appointment is the highlight of my career,” declares the Saudi national treasure following the announcement of his inauguration. “I will honour it in the memory of the great couturiers who came before me and whom I now join in the pursuit of this grand tradition of excellence in creativity and savoir faire.” Retracing the steps of his career – from launching Ashi Studio in 2006 and opening an atelier in Paris in 2018, to this moment – he recalls, “Today, I am reminded of days escaping to the garden to dream, and of that fi rst day when I hired one seamstress to bring the images in my head to life. Challenging and joyous, couture has and continues to lay bare my inner energy, so that I may give the best of myself to serve its high art. This recognition brings me the greatest emotion; it offers me the opportunity to share with you who I am.” Art Deco-infl uenced cut-glass fl acons of Le 1940 Bleu de Chanel and Diva by Emanuel Ungaro adorn the designer’s mood board, and the collection, entitled The Essence – which takes its cue from the captivating novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Sü skind – promises to be “a bold and poetic ode to dark romance, diversity and sensuality, tinged with danger,” according to the show notes. Set in 18th-century France, it tells a story that begins in Paris and ends in Grasse, known as the birthplace of perfumery – a fi tting arc for the collection itself. Tension mounts and senses sharpen as the spotlight hits the stage and the fi rst look reveals itself to the discordant notes of award-winning Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting cello solo Whiten. Expressive hourglass silhouettes with resolutely modern exposed boning mimic a fl acon’s facets, while exaggerated corsetry echoes the Art Deco outlines of the antique elixirs, and plays on volume reference the dramatic curve of blown glass. Delicate beading captures the scent trails of a spritz and sequins symbolise the effervescence of a signature fragrance. Only the petal-like ruching that adorns fl amboyant necklines betrays the innocent fl oral origins of these intoxicating creations. “I studied the novel and took from it what belongs to me, which is the dark romance,” the newly inducted member of the Business of Fashion 500 reveals after the show. “At the beginning, what you saw was inspiration from the shapes of the vintage bottles. All the silhouettes were taken from these designs. I took the shadows and modernised them.” Adding another layer of meaning and intertextuality to the collection, the fabrics that brought his creations to life were sourced from Grasse. Yet staying faithful to his Saudi Arabian roots, two models with Arab ancestry – British-Moroccan Nora Attal, and Mona Tougaard, who’s of Somali, Ethiopian and Turkish descent – opened the show. “That’s the reference to my heritage,” he points out. “That was done on purpose.” That being said, the Paris-based couturier is keen to maintain an international point of view. “I am Saudi, and everything that I’m doing is my heritage, but we live in a time of globalisation right now; it’s not limited. I don’t believe in boundaries and borders.” An enigmatic soul of few words, Mohammed Ashi relies on his couture collections and the medium of music to show his true feelings. “This is how I express myself and my personality,” he admits. “I’m super shy, and everyone knows that about me. I don’t talk much, I turn red, and I don’t like taking pictures. So, yes, it translates.” Proving this point, his architectural designs, loved by Queen Rania of Jordan, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Joan Collins, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga, are anything but shy and retiring. “I always try to extract the essence of beauty out of the women wearing my designs,” he agrees. WORDS Alison Tay Fresh from wowing the world as the rst designer from the Gulf invited to show on the Paris Couture runways, Saudi-born success story Mohammed Ashi prepares to take Ashi Studio to Riyadh Fashion Week 169 168-171_VISION_VOL2_ASHI.indd 16919/04/2024 07:53The couturier is known to listen to classical music when he crafts his collections, but for Fall/Winter 2023 he decided to dance to a different tune. “This is very funny,” he whispers conspiratorially. “I was listening to jazz. I think it was jazz that gave me a different rhythm. There are fewer rules and it’s freer,” he observes. “It’s still relaxing, but it’s motivating and puts you in a positive mind frame. I’m a moody person, so I was loving that mood. I’m sure everybody saw a different rhythm in what I did today. That was my journey to arrive here.” Contemplating how this change in metre to a more improvisational approach is mirrored in his designs, he refl ects, “I was always attracted to the old world of couture. When I started, I was kind of imitating that. Then I took another side of myself and shifted to a more modern approach. If you look at the fi rst and second silhouettes that you saw today without the full collection, you would not know that this is a true Ashi. This is what I’m moving towards right now – I’m shifting my DNA and house codes to live in the current moment a little bit.” When pressed, he defi nes this as, “today’s society, the movement, everything”. According to Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission, under the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia, “Mohammed Ashi is a leader of Saudi fashion and his creative force has made an invaluable contribution to Saudi’s fashion zeitgeist as the country undergoes a cultural transformation.” Among the pioneering initiatives launched by the Fashion Commission since the approval of its strategy in 2021 are the Saudi 100 Brands mentorship programme, now in its second season; the introduction of retail pop-ups at key moments within the Kingdom and beyond; plus opportunities to sell and show on the runways of Paris Fashion Week Men’s, Paris Couture Week, and Milan Fashion Week. Arguably, the apex of the Fashion Commission’s efforts was the inaugural Riyadh Fashion Week taking place from 20 to 23 October 2023. Having attended the Saudi 100 Brands Couture Presentation at The Ritz in Paris during Paris Couture Week, to meet the new wave of talent from the Kingdom, the founder of Ashi Studio accepts, “This was not the case for me when I started in the early ’90s.” In fact, very few designers, no matter their origins, have the support that Saudi brands currently enjoy. Does he wish he’d had the same foundation that today’s creatives are receiving from the Fashion Commission? “I wouldn’t change anything,” he insists. “Every step that I took, and this step today, I would not change because I enjoyed it. It was hard, but I enjoyed every single part.” He may have worked for Givenchy and Elie Saab before starting his own atelier in Paris, but might his career have taken a steeper trajectory with the international opportunities Saudi designers are afforded now? “I think not,” he muses. “It’s me, it wasn’t the country. It was me who built the momentum. Nothing would restrain me.” Haute off the heels of his success at Paris Couture Week, the mastermind is currently preparing to open Riyadh Fashion Week with the fi rst ever Ashi Studio show in the Kingdom. Burak explains, “Mohammed Ashi is the only Saudi designer who’s been operating his own studio in Paris for over a decade. He dresses all the top clientele in the country, so he has a following; he’s the most established in terms of being able to build a business outside the country; and he’s won the recognition of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.” The CEO of the Fashion Commission adds, “Also, he’s never done a show in the country. This is a homecoming. With Vision 2030, it means a lot that world-class global talents who are Saudi nationals and have built their businesses abroad are now coming back to be part of the change, join the creative revolution, and celebrate it with us.” The couturier acknowledges, “I have 20 years of experience in the industry. It’s my 20th anniversary at the moment. My role has shifted, changed and moved to giving back. It’s time to give back my experience and give back to my country as well. I belong to that country, although I don’t live there. I’ve lived abroad for most of my life. This is me giving back, developing the country, and bringing people to the arena we’re in today.” Mohammed Ashi’s advice to the next generation of Saudi superstars poised to take their place in the spotlight? “To start very small and to be innovative. Talent is very important. To be innovative is linked with talent. This means letting go of any boundaries or expectations that any country has. To go out of that and think on their own as if they live in this world by themselves. That is what I did.” Then, after a thoughtful pause, he laughs, “And listen to more jazz.” 170 168-171_VISION_VOL2_ASHI.indd 17019/04/2024 07:53171 168-171_VISION_VOL2_ASHI.indd 17119/04/2024 07:53172 CREATIVE DIRECTORS Marne Schwartz & Dané Stojanovic PHOTOGRAPHY Mattia Guolo FASHION DIRECTOR Anna Castan FASHION ASSISTANT Christian Marchesich HAIR Jean-Luc Amarin MAKEUP Maïna Miltza NAILS Nafi ssa Djabi EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Jean-Marc Mondelet LIGHTING ASSISTANT Alessio Spanu TALENT Ermiolita / Supreme Inspired by Mohammed Ashi becoming the fi rst Saudi designer to be invited to show on schedule at Couture Week, these couturiers from the Kingdom prove their craftsmanship and creativity also has a place in Paris 172-183_VISION_VOL2_COUTURE.indd 17219/04/2024 07:56173 Dress, MASHAEL AL FARIS 172-183_VISION_VOL2_COUTURE.indd 17319/04/2024 07:56Dress, YOUSEF AKBAR 172-183_VISION_VOL2_COUTURE.indd 17419/04/2024 07:56175 Dress and Cape, PAVONE 172-183_VISION_VOL2_COUTURE.indd 17519/04/2024 07:57176 Dress and Cape, PAVONE 172-183_VISION_VOL2_COUTURE.indd 17619/04/2024 07:57177 Dress, ASHWAQ ALMARSHAD COUTURE 172-183_VISION_VOL2_COUTURE.indd 17719/04/2024 07:57Next >