Ziad Ghanem nailed it with his killer show!

Post by R.M. team, photography by Lin Vitali.

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

"Cult Couturier" Ziad Ghanem

Marnie Scarlet magically doubled in height.

Named "Cult Couturier" by Dazed and Confused, designer Ziad Ghanem presented a fashion spectacle – a stimulating show that displayed a daring, theatrical and beautifully constructed avant-garde collection of impeccable detailing and ornamentation.

Ziad Ghanem's AW11 collection Never End, Never End, Never End

Fashion designer Ziad Ghanem's extraordinary AW11 collection entitled Never End, Never End, Never End was showcased during London Fashion Week as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout. The collection takes inspiration from the horror video game "Silent Hill" and the work of romantic painter who favoured the supernatural, John-Henry Fuseli. Ah, Ziad, now we know what you do in your spare time!

Magic - Ziad Ghanem evokes the power of the devil to open the show

Pandemonia and Boy George sat in the audience.

Magic, my friends... Held at the Freemason's Hall, the catwalk show opened with a dose of magic: the red-headed model wearing a black evening gown, fanning green burlesque feathers as though they were wings and sporting a smile reminiscent of 'the joker' from Batman or the Dark Nurse from the video game "Silent Hill" unpredictably started gaining height! Not only Boy George and Pandemonia sat in the audience but the devil himself! The performance artist Marnie Scarlet magically doubled in height to around 10 feet as the black couture gown turned into a maxi dress and became a perfect opening number for the first part of Ziad Ghanem’s magnificent collection.

The Ziad Ghanem Never End, Never End, Never End press release states that "the same garment viewed in a dark, gothic context by one viewer will be interpreted as romantic and liberating by the next." Although I would describe the first part of Ziad Ghanem's show as dark and gothic, others' perceptions may therefore differ. Whatever your view, black was the predominant colour in the first half of the show, with many of the garments featuring lace and dramatic and complicated drapery as seen in the capes.

Dark and gothic... See more images from LFW Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 show.

White make-up with reddened eyes and black smiles was seen throughout the fashion show. Other models were sporting blue eyes and blue tinted hair amongst the vast variation of other theatrical looks. The make-up station further extended to the catwalk as model and hairdresser Alex Collins smeared black paint over his perfectly painted white face as part of his performance during the show. As you can just as well imagine, Never End, Never End, Never End was full of twists, revelations and surprises. I truly wished it would never end!

Variation of theatrical looks... See more images from LFW Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 show.

Model Ruby S Balthazar in a blue vaporous dress.

The second part of the collection was more feminine and sensual with models wearing a mix of perfectly fitted dresses, some of which were tightly corseted and others long and vaporous.

The dresses came in a variety of colours including light greys, whites, lilacs and blues. Two of the pieces from the collection were showing off what I believe to be a print of a white eagle. The symbol of Eagle present across a range of beliefs and philosophies tends to represent great power and balance, strength, courage, wisdom, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, and knowledge of magic amongst other qualities. Such qualities are strongly reflected in the miraculous presentation of Ziad Ghanem’s AW11 Never End, Never End, Never End collection.

More bird elements could further be seen in headwear pieces adorned with large feathers. Other headwear accessories complimenting the heavily embellished collection included luxurious veils and intricate beadworks.

Heavily embellished headwear... See more images from LFW Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 show.

Ziad Ghanem’s taste for luxurious fabrics

Ziad Ghanem has sourced and used luxurious fabrics such as vintage silk chiffon, duchess satin and Moroccan crepe from old couture mills, and used their natural flow to fit the body and create new forms and shapes.

Model designer Ziad Ghanem sets an example by finger-picking models of a greater meaning

Ziad Ghanem, the designer, showcased his spectacular collection using a diverse range of models and performers backed by a fascinating range of professions, such as in the case of Architect Beatrice Montagnani or Veterinary Surgeon, Actress, Model and Presenter Helen Bolter (More on this from Ziad Ghanem’s model, Ruby S Balthasar). The eclectic display of shapely models included pierced, tattooed, transgender models, men wearing female dresses, full-bosomed curvaceous females, character performers like the ballerina and even a plus size model who closed the show. Expression of models’ individualities enhanced the creativity, eccentricity, theatricality and boldness of the collection.

Diverse selection of fashion models... See more images from LFW Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 show.

It was a breath of fresh air to see Ziad Ghanem’s choice of models reflecting our contemporary and diverse society in literal terms, - a welcomed change from the usual selection of those perfectly matched extra-terrestrial skinny sticks that we normally see on the catwalks to date.

Ziad Ghanem breaks boundaries in fashion

The much anticipated show produced a thrilling result breaking boundaries in fashion through freedom of expression, beauty and art. Ziad Ghanem indeed is the hottest designer of the season.

Respect!

As the show came to an end the audience stood up to applaud the designer and his work. This is a site rarely seen these days. Not one but many of us are of the same mind; the show was truly sensational.

It was a killer show!

Ziad Ghanem IS the devil himself.