Lebanese designers shine at the first Arab Menswear Fashion Week

A FIRST EVER, THE ARAB MENSWEAR FASHION WEEK ORGANIZED BY THE ARAB FASHION COUNCIL LIVE-STREAMED ON FACEBOOK THIS PAST WEEK-END.

The event, that is set to be bi-annual, featured emerging brands who revealed their latest collections, from streetwear to tailoring.

Two of Lebanon’s most prominent young designers, Roni Helou and Eric Matthieu Ritter from EMERGENCY ROOM respectively showcased “Road to exi(s)t” and “Absinthe Blues 2.0” .

Ritter re-explored his graduate collection “Absinthe Blues” , which expressed a feeling of numbness using solely hues of blue in a 2021 version that if, still just as blue this time around, focused on “an intense and busy lifestyle, the overwhelming daily rush of responsibilities and duties, exacerbated by repetitive periods of lockdown which very much take their toll on all aspects of a modern business.“

The signature codes of the brand are here, a nonchalant tailoring give a new life to recycled fabrics, the result is a laid-back yet utterly cool silhouette that beyond all, remains genderless.

Drawing inspiration from the harsh absurdity that was 2020, Roni Helou presents “Road to exi(s)t” that is a “commentary on our modern day lives.” A pandemic. animal cruelty, an explosion, Helou translated vivid emotions into this capsule which he told JDEED is “a collection made for the modern Arab man.”

Modern but not pushing too much, Helou goes on about “Road to exi(s)t”: “It’s a well balanced collection with key pieces that can be statements or toned down; it’s a smart collection. I’d say it’s season-less, including pieces that can be worn everyday with a small twist.“

About the brand’s video, shot by Pedro Hasrouny and produced by Ghiya Haidar, Helou comments: “We wanted o create a video where the clothes are not the focus but where the message behind it is much stronger. It’s more about the vibe and feel than the clothes themselves.” See some stills below:

Read more about the Arab Menswear Fashion Week and the Arab Fashion Council, here

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