LFW Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11

Article by Ruby S Balthazar. Photography by Lin Vitali.

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

Ziad Ghanem with a model at LFW Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 catwalk.

Prerogative: Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 fairytale from a model's point of view

I wanted to bring attention to the continuous circle of inspiration that is connecting fashion designer ZIAD GHANEM and his MODELS/INSPIRATIONS. You get the feel that he needs the models as much as the models need him. Well, you can’t take away the artists PRE-ROG-A-TIVE.

PRE-ROG-A-TIVE
Noun
An exclusive right or privilege held by a person or group, especially a hereditary or official group.

My name: RUBY S BALTHAZAR
Profession: Full time fashion model, trained actress, art director, MUA. One of the models in Ziad Ghanem’s show.

My inspiration I guess is just a thought that I can inspire generations of people with my art and even when I’m not going be walking the walk, when my time is up my work will still speak for me. Helmut Newton’s, Bette Davis`s and Miss Monroe’s work and life has helped me find my key to Wonderland and I am here to show you what it feels like to be my guest.

And there I was, in a taxi on the way to the show. My make up packed, at least I thought so!

On the first crossroads: "I forgot my brushes!!!"

Yes we had to go back, as by modelling in fashion designer Ziad Ghanem's show you are actually allowed to express yourself artistically. Be yourself.

Got my brushes, CHECK! But that couldn’t prevent the horrendous traffic that awaited us. Me and the driver almost killed each other in that hour and a half but when we arrived we were so exhausted from it we just burst out laughing. Fashionably late, and I was not the only one. So here we are, I’m inviting all of you into the backstage of Ziad Ghanem Haute Couture AW11 London Fashion Week show. I’m inviting you into the world of GHANEM COUTURE. In order to understand the designer, you have to meet his inspirations first. As diverse, as they could possibly get, here they are.

THE MODELS:

Name: MARNI SCARLET
Profession: PERFORMER, PATTERN CUTTER at LIBIDEX

Name: SHANE HAWKINS
Profession: EDITORIAL ASSISTANT at SPINDLE MAGAZINE, RESIDEDNT DJ at HAUTE

"I am mostly inspired by cult b-movies, Sporty Spice collaged with high end fashion worn in a street-wear form. If I could be any other man it would be John Waters."

Name: JAMIE ABBOTT
Profession: GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Name: HELEN BOLTER
Profession: VETERINARY SURGEON, ACTRESS, MODEL, PRESENTER

"The sort of person who wears Ziad Ghanem's couture is someone who neither fits into any category of life, nor wants to. I am a scientist and an artist - why should I not do it all? Why should I not have it all? Therefore, I should wear Ghanem Couture.

In the first photo Ziad ever saw of me, I was anaesthetizing a wild African lion. Ziad said that the moment he saw that photo, he knew I had to be in his show. Ziad Ghanem is inspired by strength and intelligence but also elegance and beauty. Those are qualities you will find in his work. If you find those qualities in yourself, you should be wearing his clothes."

Name: ZAF SHABIR
Profession: MODEL, FASHION BUYER

"Inspiration: life, backgrounds and individuality. Fashion is a subject that I live, sleep and breathe."

Name: ADAM MEDUSA SIDWELL
Profession: MUA

Name: PAUL BATTENBERG-CARTWRIGHT & NORA BATTENBERG-CARTWRIGHT
Profession: CONCEPTUAL & PERFORMANCE ARTIST

"We married in the name of art last year, and our work focuses mainly on the notion of the artist becoming the artwork and is inspired by artists such as Marine Abramovic. The performance we did at the show involved paper flowers on the audience's chairs, and throwing paper confetti into the audience. The paper had been soaked in the blood of a murderer as part of an art concept and dealt with the notion of the uncanny in art - grotesque meets beautiful, the theme Ziad's show was using."

Name: ALEX COLLINS
Profession: HAIRDRESSER, CLUB KID, MODEL

"What inspires me are simple things, whether it's a trip to Ikea - to Gareth Pugh - to Vogue magazine. I try to look at things and think… Would that go on my head? Or is that too heavy to stick to my face? Everything I feel can be worn."

Name: JACKEE WORD
Profession: COLUMNIST, BLOGGER, OWNS A FETISH COMPANY

"I am inspired by anyone and anything which goes against what society is "meant to do". I like to banish taboos and establish equality through strong words and images."

Name: JONATHAN BESTLEY
Profession: PA to DANIEL LISMORE

"I like contradictions - mixing opposite things together to make something new and different. Rather than try and make something new, I try to reinvent things that have already been done."

Name: AMELIA MONTAGNANI
Profession: MODEL

Name: HELEN CRAWFORD
Profession: BALERINA, MODEL

Name: CHERRY
Profession: TRAINED CONTEMPORARY DANCER, FASHION MODEL, PERFORMANCE ARTIST

"Cherry thrives upon collaborative based work and the companies I work with create live art experiences. Cherry is heavily inspired by old Hollywood starlets both in style and grace, and also the mesmerizing work of director David Lynch."

Name: BEATRICE MONTAGNANI
Profession: ARCHITECT

"Ziad is an inspiration for all, he allows us to be ourselves and wear the garments with our own personalities which is a change for us Streatham girls... init!"

Name: AROOJ ZARA MEHMOOD
Profession: BANKER, MODEL (Elite model India)

"London is going crazy for Ziad Ghanem right now. I have never worked for such an inspirational and beautiful team."

Name: PARVIN CHOUDHURY
Profession: MODEL

Name: HAJRA RABIA ASHRAF
Profession: MEDICAL STUDENT, MODEL

"I'm inspired by people, all people, everybody is beautiful in their own way and that diversity is what my inspiration is."

Name: ELENA ROXANA MARIA FERNANDES
Profession: MODEL

Name: RINA
Profession: MODEL

Name: JOHANNA LONDINIUM
Profession: MUA, occasional MODEL, EVENTS HOST

"I would say my make up ideas and techniques are inspired by the work of Kevin Aucoin, a famous make-up artist who worked prevalently in the media during my teenage years. I prefer the art of making someone look beautiful, bringing out their inner beauty as opposed to creating more avant-garde looks. I am a woman born transsexual and like to celebrate this and diversity in general with the modelling assignments I do. Also regarding modelling and female imagery I love the work of Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton in particular. Strong, powerful yet feminine beautiful women."

Name: MISS SAHHARA
Profession: SINGER SONGWRITER, MODEL, CATWALK TEACHER

"My inspiration is music, I’m a singer song writer and the sound of music makes me move to the rhythm. I love catwalking, I have done it since I was 10 years old, I was a catwalk teacher for many years in Africa before becoming a model in the UK."

Name: BEA SWEET
Profession: MUA, HAIRSTYLIST in fashion, editorial and beauty with prosthetics and WIG MAKING on request, PLUS SIZED FASHION & ART MODEL

"My primary research often derives from cultural narratives, I take huge inspiration from world-fashion, how others choose to claim their identity, focusing on transience and Diaspora. I take my main inspiration from nature and human nature in their purest forms, I embrace difference and love it when differences form together to make parts that shouldn't fit, but do."

And last but not the least, here is what Ziad Ghanem told me himself:

"My Mum helped me with putting the collection together, designing and sourcing the fabrics. We wanted to keep it simple romantic and feminine like the work of old couturiers. I am inspired by Valentino (the man himself) and Lacroix. My models inspire me too as they are individuals that play their own self on my stage."

 

Partially the reason I`m writing about the show from a models perspective is to thank Ziad for not caring about what the fashion industry dictates and being daring enough to let us express ourselves freely. This is for you Ziad Ghanem.

I hope you can see how much we appreciate your work and you as a person.

Love,
RUBY S BALTHAZAR
XOXO