Qasimi Spring 2021: Hoor Al-Qasimi's Spectacular Debut

We The People...

Hoor Al-Qasimi has made her spectacular debut as the new creative director of the brand with her spring 2021 collection. Consisting of easy, desirable classics with a focus on expert craftsmanship and technology, Qasimi spring 2021 is a standout collection of the season and built to last.

At the forefront of Qasimi, Hoor is taking on the role her late brother held at the eponymous brand, founded in London in 2008. This season, Hoor delivers a striking collection with the first instance of womenswear at the fashion house, and a continuation of her brother’s cross-cultural references and socially conscious messaging.

Enlisting the talents of Jamaican born artist Nari Ward, and based upon his 2018 piece ‘We The People’, where Ward subverts the opening lines of the U.S. Constitution using hundreds of shoelaces for a timely and unifying message. The words are also embroidered on pieces throughout the collection, replacing the shoe laces with hanging thread. Hoor also commissioned Somali-born, UAE-based hip-hop artist FREEK, who combines spoken word in Arabic and English to produce the sound of the collection. Interweaving the opening line of the U.S. Constitution with the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, FREEK and Qasimi weave politics and poetry into the clothes and the collection debut.

Qasimi spring 2021 takes notes from loungewear and comfortable neutrals for a collection of interchangeable classics for a timeless capsule wardrobe. With soft, architectural designs, the relaxed silhouettes and exaggerated shapes are woven in soft colours reminiscent of the military and consuming desert landscapes, punctuated with futuristic buttons, eyelets and hardware alongside adaptable straps, tapes and zips.

We caught up with Hoor to discuss her new collection and what she sees for the future of Qasimi, and chatted with Freek about working with the brand and developing the soundtrack.

*Sabrina Soormally: What inspired you when designing this collection?*

Hoor Al-Qasimi: With my background in the arts I tried to bring in some elements and inspiration from my work as a curator to the collection, whilst still keeping true to my brother’s vision for Qasimi.

*SS: Tell me about the Qasimi ‘urban nomad’ of this collection.*

HAQ: The urban nomad has been an ongoing reference for Qasimi and this season we have launched our line of womenswear. The Qasimi woman being a companion along the journey, they are soulmates rather than a couple.

*SS: Qasimi has always focused on dedicated craftsmanship for refined, minimalistic clothes. Is this something that you see as a common trend in menswear across the Middle East and the West?*

HAQ: Quality and craftmanship is very important, we want people to cherish the items and be able to be comfortable wearing them.

*SS: How does your background in the art world affect your work as a fashion designer?*

HAQ: I can bring more of my experience in the art world and have more of a dialogue with the fashion industry to create something powerful.

*SS: How are you honouring your brother’s legacy at the brand?*

HAQ: Khalid worked so hard to make Qasimi what it is today and I am so proud of all the work he had done. I always supported him and want to continue supporting him by keeping his legacy of Qasimi alive. I hope I can make him proud.

*SS: What do you see for the future of Qasimi under your direction?*

HAQ: I am lucky to have a great team at Qasimi who are helping me as I enter this new field, I think I can also bring something different with my background in the arts. It’s a very exciting moment of synergy when everything comes together!

*Sabrina Soormally : How did you start working on this music piece with Hoor and Qasimi?*

FREEK: When Hoor approached me about the upcoming collection and what it represents I immediately got hyped about the project because it resonate with my brand. Usually projects like that takes a long time to produce but me and Qasimi we share the same belief and style.  It definitely wasn’t easy to create, but the concept great and it pushed me to come up with what I believe an amazing piece.

*SS: What was the most important part on this collaboration for you?*

F: Being associated with Qasimi is amazingly important for me, having an international brand that everyone respect is what every artist look for. I put my heart and soul producing this and it was a smooth process working with such a talented team. I can easily say I’m proud of this collaboration and I’m looking forward to see people’s reactions.

*SS: How important is it to you for music to always tell a message?*

F: Music without a message doesn’t live long, all great music have something in common which is a “Message “, and I want to always have something to touch people and resonate with them, a lot of them has been telling me “ your music always relatable “ which am glad about and I hope I don’t ever lose the connection with the crowd and definitely be always relevant.


Check out the video here.

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