Trained to calculate load‑bearing walls in Damascus; the same mind now cuts stretch tulle into silhouettes that win Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award. Syrian architect and designer Rakan Shams Aldeen calls the method “wearable architecture,” insisting, “The secret is in understanding the human body and how and where to build around it.” His Amsterdam‑based label, RAKAN, launched in 2018, translates blueprints into sleek cuts and has already dressed names like Maye Musk and Elyanna. His season‑less capsule 2.0—featuring metallic ombrés, stretch‑tulle structure, and liquid drape—illustrates that principle with near‑architectural precision.
“I actually didn’t want to study architecture at all. I couldn’t wait to be done with it, and for a long time I felt like it was a waste of time, until I realized how much it shaped the way I design today,” Rakan says, acknowledging how his architectural background influences pattern‑making.
“I wanted the pieces to feel structured but never stiff. The sharp lines give clarity, while the fluidity brings ease and emotion. It’s about finding a balance that feels powerful, but still very human.” Architectural references are explicit, from legends like Frank Gehry to Santiago Calatrava. “They are two of my favorite architects, and I was inspired by their work in general but specifically the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao by Gehry and the World Trade Center station by Calatrava in NYC.”
Despite the global influences, the pieces of course, also carry Damascus in their folds. “Growing up in Syria I was surrounded by rich history and architecture and I soaked all the details and textures in. Living in Europe changed my vision to design and made it more modern and contemporary. My work lives in the space between those two worlds.” The result is clothing with Ottoman undertones and European restraint, corseted hips, blade‑sharp seams, and fabrics—“stretch tulle mesh is a magic material, very soft on the skin and effortless”—engineered to contour without constricting.
Recognition came quickly. A finalist turn on Project Runway USA and the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award speaks. “It changed a lot! It made me believe in my creativity more and pushed me to create something different than what available in the market but also taught me to challenge this creativity into wearable sellable products,” he says of those milestones.
The designer, who recently hosted an exclusive preview of edit 2.0 in Dubai, is breaking with fashion’s rigid calendar. “Following the rules of fashion industry is very challenging and tiring for the creative process, seasonless is the new way to go and it helps our planet produce less.” Hence 2.0 releases without a Spring/Summer tag—architecture for the wardrobe, ready when the wearer is.
From Damascus beginnings to Amsterdam ateliers and onto the world’s runways, Rakan shows that tailoring can be as tender as it is engineered—like a blazer mirroring a skyline’s grid, or a gown that drapes with the same sweep once reserved for steel and stone.
