Ziyad Buainain is the Saudi-born, London-based fashion designer whose eponymous designs are exhilaratingly rich in details, with art and culture as a primary source of inspiration.
Buainain’s design aesthetic stems from his fascination with fantasy and human emotion. “To me, fashion is an outlet for self-expression,” he says. “It’s a language that’s universal and helps us tell our stories and learn more about each other. Being able to design and hopefully inspire and empower people makes me feel more alive, which is exactly why I started my fashion journey.”
His debut collection, titled Serenity Prayer, uses a mix of dead-stock, new and recycled fabrics and will be produced on-demand. The first part of the collection uses a distorted image of a burning chandelier, depicting a house on fire digitally printed onto duchess satin. The printed panels, along with the hand-embellished bleeding flower details, represent emotional pain and anxiety.
The collection then shifts to images of floating arms over a faded dahlia, letting go of past traumas and stressing upon the importance of getting help. Bandage silhouettes and metallic, armor-like fabrics represent the process of betterment. The collection concludes with the “sunrise above the clouds” print, featuring freshwater pearls and floral chiffon, and highlighting the resilience of the human spirit.
“This collection is about overcoming, resilience, self-love and above all, it is an homage to the power of hope,” Buainain says. “Launching my debut collection during a global pandemic was quite challenging.” With shops closed, deliveries taking longer and businesses operating slower, “there were a lot of moments when I felt overwhelmed with everything that was going on. I had so many emotions, ranging from anxiety to excitement, but I channeled all those emotions into my work, and honestly it was quite therapeutic. [People would tell me] where and when can anyone wear these garments? But that was the whole purpose of the collection and the inspiration behind it – it was meant to send a message of hope for the (hopefully near) future.”
In keeping with his label’s socially conscious ethos, Buainain will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of his garments to a charity related to the collection’s inspiration.
