Arab Designers Took Over Paris Haute Couture Week and Redefined the Future of Fashion

At Paris Couture Week Autumn-Winter 2025/26, Arab couturiers turned tradition, turmoil, and talent into couture that moved like poetry and hit like power

Paris Haute Couture Week is known as fashion’s most elite stage, but this season it was Arab designers who transformed it into something far more powerful. From Beirut to Riyadh, these artists used the runway to explore heritage, resilience, and identity through clothing. Each collection went beyond beauty and spectacle to tell personal and cultural stories with unforgettable impact.

They are no longer rising stars. They are leaders reshaping the future of couture.

Ashi Studio: Ghosts, Grandeur, and the Poetry of Decay

Mohammed Ashi of Ashi Studio brought a deeply emotional vision to life with a collection inspired by forgotten treasures found in Parisian flea markets. Aged veils, antique tapestries, and faded illustrations became the foundation for sculptural gowns that balanced delicacy with power.

The collection paid homage to both fragility and transformation. Ashi drew on the textile art of Louise Bourgeois and the mystery of a cabinet of curiosities to create pieces that felt ancient yet alive. This was not just couture. It was memory turned into motion.

Georges Hobeika: Turning Couture Into Strength

Georges Hobeika offered a refined response to global unrest with his collection titled The New Order. Instead of using couture to escape reality, he used it to face it. Every detail, from the structured folds to the flowing silhouettes, carried a message of inner strength and elegance.

Hobeika returned to his roots, blending traditional craftsmanship with a quiet sense of rebellion. The result was a thoughtful and graceful resistance that used beauty to speak volumes without ever raising its voice.

Ziad Nakad: A Regal Celebration of Feminine Power

With KANZ, which means treasure in Arabic, Ziad Nakad revealed a collection filled with richness, romance, and reverence for heritage. The setting was a crumbling Lebanese palace, and the gowns shimmered like heirlooms newly uncovered. Crystal embroidery, floral patterns, and antique-style brooches added layers of storytelling to each piece.

The silhouettes blended softness and structure, using mousseline, velvet, and tulle in rich shades like emerald, burgundy, and rose. The final bridal look felt like moonlight catching on marble, ending the show with a breathtaking sense of myth and memory.

Tony Ward: Fashion as Theatre and Revelation

Tony Ward transformed the runway into a stage with his collection titled Entre rêve et regard, which means between dream and gaze. He explored the contrast between concealment and expression through bold steel masks, intricate embroidery, and gowns that felt like armor made for queens.

With a mix of ethereal fabrics and strong silhouettes, the collection moved between softness and strength. Colors shifted from metallic silver to crimson and pastel tones. Some pieces required more than 700 hours of detailed work, a tribute to the skilled artisans behind the scenes. This was couture as drama, storytelling, and art all in one.

A New Chapter in Couture

Paris may be the historic heart of haute couture, but this season proved that Arab designers are its beating soul. Their collections were grounded in culture, charged with emotion, and executed with vision. Each garment carried meaning and purpose, blending the past and present into something truly transformative.

Arab designers are not following the future of fashion. They are writing it.

Latest Posts

News
Tomorrowland Inferno: Main Stage Destroyed Just Days Before Festival Kickoff

A massive fire gutted Tomorrowland’s iconic stage, but organizers promise the show will go on—even without its centerpiece

News
Gate Q2 2025 Report: Steady Growth, Bold Strategy in a Changing Market

Gate grows user base past 30 million, leads global trading gains, and expands ecosystem with product innovation, institutional growth, and a bold brand vision