In a courtyard of aged trees and bright wooden panelling, Hoor Al-Qasimi revealed her latest unisex collection. The crowd came appropriately dressed in cargo dresses, plaid shirts, and earthy shades of brown, all house code critical to the QASIMI brand, while Hoor Al-Qasimi continued to explore the soft utilitarian DNA founded by her late brother.
Titled ‘Undercurrent’, the collection takes a look at the labour and repeated process of garment-making. It also explores the idea that a garment is never fully finished, but rather continues to be created with wear. So each look is delicately exposed. Knit tops have loose threads hanging at the seams, denim is deeply pleated, and coloured pieces have dye stains, all highlighting the amount of work that goes into each piece of clothing. Juxtaposing the theme of labour involved in creating clothes are the clothes themselves—loose, laidback, and honing on the ease of imperfection.
Beginning with a series of blazers, the collection then dives into collared shirts, knit sweaters, loose denim, sheer sets, ruffle tops, and barrel leg pants. Each look continues QASIMI’s codes of utilitarian, seasonless wear and delicate corporate attire in an earthy, warm palette of camel, mocha brown, jade and olive green, creams and pinks. Styled with strings of pearls, the accessories hinted at Emirati life before the discovery of oil, when pearl diving and fishing drove the economy and subsequently provided laidback living. And while the menswear looks outnumbered the womenswear, each womenswear look came with a tactile edge and easy styling potential, giving plenty for the modest dresser to choose from.
The theme of asymmetry also subtly reared its head in this collection. A shirt collar fell all the way back to the head, while another wrapped around in a circle and then some. A dress came with volume and movement, spotlighted by its asymmetrical hem. Panels, threads, and belts all looped to one side as well, adding an extra detail of interest. Although the latter is a direct reference to Emirati artist, the late Hassan Sharif. A prolific contemporary artist, Sharif was foundational to conceptual art in the UAE. His most well-known works involve everyday and industrial objects turned into sculptures by repeatedly tying or weaving them with strings of rope, wire, and threads, allowing for the excess to naturally fall.
Working with the Sharif’s estate, Hoor Al-Qasimi borrows Sharif’s philosophy, an idea that “‘Art’ is a result of errors.” Hence, the unfinished tailoring reveals a broader dialogue with Sharif’s work. According to Hoor Al-Qasimi, ‘Undercurrent’ marks the beginning of a two-season exploration inspired by the work of the late Hassan Sharif.
