Last month, the final collection of Esmod’s graduated class of 2015 was exhibited at ABC Dbayeh along with selected alumni creations. Two of the talented students invite us into their world.

Zeina Naamani launched the label Outlandysh. Her collection ‘Through a prism’ is a perilous exercise that delightfully plays with fabrics, structures and cuts. With her background in architecture she creates transformable outfits: reversible shorts or dresses, convertible sleeves and detachable pieces. A deconstructed jacket is turned into pants, paired with a shirt in trompe-l’oeil effect. Geometric forms are her playground: a triangular grid dress is made of overlapping leather straps, leather and shantung dots are assembled into a reversible gilet, and triangle shaped folded circles add a twist on shorts. A refreshing palette of creativity and color!

Cindy Abdel Ahad envisions her designs as a ‘Remedy’ to society’s ailments and taboos. Her graduate collection ‘Trapped’ draws inspiration from the movie A Dangerous Method, an intrigue of the stormy relationship between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and Jung’s story with his patient Sabina Spielrein who later became one of the first female psychoanalysts. Leather choker necklaces, studded arm bracelets and chunky belts complement all black body hugging corset shaped cuts underpinned by metallic inserts. The mood reflects intricate relationships and unspoken prohibitions. ‘Remedy’ is an expression of the cathartic role of fashion.