Swathe yourself in Ashi’s majestic couture

The fashion scene in Saudi Arabia is certainly seeing a new dawn. Is it? Yes, thanks to its well-traveled young and sharp minds, this sort of a milestone is being made possible and ushering in an era of greater openness and most importantly artistic freedom. And the reality is buttressed even more by the much sought-after Saudi Arabian couturier Mohammed Ashi who is today referred to as “the master of haute couture” in a region where its demand is continually on the rise.
It’s no wonder that since his arrival on the scene, the fashion world has been singing the praises of his opulent work.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sat down with him to discuss how he does it all with such finesse and much more.
Ashi, in his early days, was extremely fascinated by the glamorous life of fashion. In fact, it was the design world and the creative process involving it that drew his attention to fashion in the first place. It’s everything for him. “I could never have imagined myself living a life where this pleasant reality of mine didn’t exist. I know it’s true that some people see it as a shallow world but for me it’s an inexorable urge to create and achieve the impossible,” he says.
As he went on to delve further inside the nitty-gritty of fashion, he enrolled in a famous French design school ESMOD where he studied for three years. While he worked with world-renowned fashion houses initially, he felt his inner voice nudging him constantly to create something of his own. This ambition brought him to Los Angeles where he designed his first ever collection. And it was an instant success on the red carpet as Eva Longoria and Giuliana Rancic showed up flamboyantly in his evening wear dresses. From here on, he became a global sensation.
But then his heart and soul got melted by the sheer beauty of haute couture prompting him to launch his eponymous couture label “Ashi Studio” in 2007. “First and foremost, haute couture is my favorite part and I love it because it involves lots of handmade work like embroidery which requires absolute discipline and ingenuity,” he says.
Ashi’s dresses are exquisitely unique and therefore always invoke a rush of passion among celebrities to try it whenever possible. They fall in love with his couture outfits because of their unusual cuts and different feminine approach. “It’s always a challenge to create new shapes and cuts, which I realized once I became part of the fashion industry,” he says. “It really can’t be any other way. Quality and originality are always taken care of in the highest order. We can’t think of these two things ever being compromised under any circumstances.”
He loves working with stiff fabrics like Gazar and organza but when it comes to deciding colors for his dresses, he prefers to discreetly dip his fingers in neutral colors as they help in bringing the sensual forces to life.
In his opinion, women often look for classical gowns with a timeless feminine look. That’s the reason why his designs are seemingly aimed at those women who are full of avant-garde yet feminine and sophisticated traits. And his FW16-17 collection is another testament to this, which shines some light on Apollo’s undying love for Daphne, one of the historic episodes of love from ancient Greek mythology. Inspired by pride, lust and loss that Apollo felt for Daphne, the elegant creations of the collection have sprung up in a mesmerizing way where the combination of structures effortlessly constructed and material manipulation makes Ashi’s designs more vivid.
When asked which celebrities he normally dreams of seeing in his costume, he replies, “My muses were and still are Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. I don’t feel it will ever change.”
As to where his inspiration comes from, he admits it mainly comes from movies, books, images and art. That’s how his design mantra comes across as considerably architectural and conceptual.
Talking about women’s taste in fashion in the Middle East, he says, “The fashion today is pretty much globalized in the true sense of the word and all women irrespective of where they are harbor a desire to enjoy the same privilege. Let’s not forget that the fashion industry in this part of the world is getting exposed internationally at a fast rate. I feel women here are very fashion savvy.”
As the Ashi brand touches new heights, he has expanded it into a ready-to-wear line. Last but not the least, he had this to say, “I feel literally flattered when fashionistas show their interest in me as another hot favorite couture designer they can count on.”

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