CHASING RAINBOWS
KAGE
Chasing
Rainbows
A Palestinian Emirati born and raised in Dubai. A trip to London, fabric rolls shipped back, and a brand born from genuine curiosity about what fashion could mean in a city building a new cultural identity in real time.
Inspired by Rainbow Brite — the 1980s cartoon — this collection introduces a burst of pastel colour and contemporary silhouettes. The KAGE girl loves to explore and doesn't take fashion too seriously.
"We all add something different to the conversation around Middle Eastern fashion. I think there's a real wealth of diversity, not unlike what you find in Europe. The sector isn't quite there yet in terms of its potential, but it definitely doesn't lack the talent to develop it."
When Basma Abu Ghazaleh and her partner left their jobs in 2009 and flew to London to look for something, they were not yet sure what they were looking for. They found it in fabric rolls and accessories, in the specific texture of a city's style energy, in the sense that what they were seeing could translate into something new in a place that was itself becoming new. They shipped the fabric back to Dubai and founded KAGE.
That story — the leap of faith, the inspiration sourced from elsewhere and brought home — is not unusual in the history of fashion. What is particular to the Dubai context is the pace at which the home has changed around the arriving designer. Between 2009 and now, Dubai has transformed from a high-end luxury retail hub into a recognised global fashion capital with its own institutions, its own fashion week, its own design district, and its own emerging generation of designers telling stories that could only come from this specific, cross-cultural, perpetually-in-motion place.
What inspired you to launch KAGE?
My partner at the time and I were both at a point in our lives where we wanted to leave our jobs and embark on a new journey. We used this opportunity to travel to London and explore, and got inspired by the style, design, fabrics and culture there. With inspiration, motivation and determination we shipped back fabric rolls and accessories, which we collected from our trip, and the KAGE brand was born in 2009.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
Inspiration comes naturally and can't be forced. I can stumble across anything that can inspire me. At times, it's a random thought that triggers my imagination and I find myself designing pieces in my mind. For Fall 2016, 3D fabrics mesmerized me so much that I designed the collection based on special prints. For the latest SS17 collection, a 1980s cartoon captured my mind.
Challenges of starting your own fashion brand?
Keeping up and working ahead of schedule is key and most challenging in the fashion business, which is a fast-paced, cut-throat industry. It's also a very competitive business so making sure your brand is constantly evolving is very important. You need to be different and innovate, stick to your brand's aesthetic and tell a different story with every collection. You hit rocky roads and every day is a new challenge but it's all part of the learning process.
"The KAGE girl is always top of mind. She is a girl who loves to explore and doesn't take fashion too seriously. She prefers an understated approach to dressing. The playfulness of life is translated directly into the designs."
Tell us about Chasing Rainbows — SS17.
For Spring/Summer 2017, KAGE delves into and presents a refreshing new perspective on summer dressing. Inspired by the acclaimed television cartoon series Rainbow Brite from the 1980s, the collection introduces a burst of colour to wardrobes. This modern and chic collection comprises contemporary and distinctive silhouettes in pastel colours — a collection about joy, about lightness, about refusing to be serious when seriousness isn't required.
Fashion icons in your opinion?
This probably sounds cliché but Karl Lagerfeld is my number one. He is an artist, a photographer and the genius behind the world's biggest fashion houses. To design for three top brands whose aesthetic is so different makes his creativity endless.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
It's something that many different people have told me, which is to be patient and never give up. It's a simple message but something that has always stuck with me.
Basma Abu Ghazaleh launches from Dubai after a London sourcing trip. A new generation of UAE-based designers begins emerging alongside the luxury retail dominance.
A dedicated ecosystem for designers, studios, and creative businesses. The infrastructure of a fashion capital begins to take physical form in the city.
Arab Fashion Week rebrands as Dubai Fashion Week, solidifying its place on the international fashion calendar. The "East-meets-West" narrative becomes a global style conversation.
From luxury retail hub to global fashion capital. The talent was always here. The institutions caught up. Basma said it first: the sector just needed time to reach its potential.
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