Innovation has always been the backbone of creation and today’s Saudi Arabia is no exception. With the fashion scene going through a major transformation it is their upcoming designers who are finding more original ways to blend art with culture and face the challenge of ecological change.
One such designer is Ziyad Buainain, a London-based designer with a Saudi heart. Having studied in Milan, Buainain is pushing the boundaries and turning heads with a unique sensitive style that reveals his love and respect of humanity in his first major collection the critically acclaimed ‘Serenity Prayer’.
Firstly, Bravo on a wonderful debut collection, filled with so many original and beautiful statements pieces
Thank you very much. I appreciate your kind support and what Al Sharkiah is doing to amplify Saudi voices is incredible – bravo to you for that!
‘Serenity Prayer’ is an incredibly powerful title for your first collection I would love to know more about your concept.
I named the collection after Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Those powerful words helped me overcome some difficult times and taking inspiration from Nobuhiko Obayashi’s 1977 candy-coated horror film Hausu, my aim was to help destigmatize mental health and emphasise the importance of reaching out if you’re going through a tough time. The biggest misconception is that if you ask for help – you’re viewed as weak but in having these difficult conversations we empower one another and come to a place of inner peace and tranquillity.
I used a lot of symbolism in the collection to illustrate these points – distorted burning chandelier, the floating arms, they all illustrate the importance of help and righteous vulnerability.
In the last part of the collection, the sunrise over the clouds print, floral chiffon fabric and freshwater pearl details are a representation of inner peace, fulfilment, and wisdom.
The collection is about overcoming, resilience, self-love and above all it is a homage to the power of hope – which I believe is so important in the current climate we’re in. I think it’s crucial to create work that reflects the time we’re living.
Describe yourself to us as a designer and how your feelings influence the creativity process?
My work is very emotionally driven, exploring how I feel or have felt in the past and illustrating that using symbolic archetypes and references help me convey my message or story. The general mood of any collection I design always begins with what emotion or emotions I want to convey. I created this collection during lockdown in London so I had so many emotions ranging from anxiety to excitement. I channelled all those into my work and honestly it was very therapeutic. I learned a lot about myself. Art has been a huge part of my life. I use a lot of references from art and film when I design. Ever since I was a child I was obsessed with shapes and colour. I would instantly gravitate towards anything bold and striking – it gave me energy. We moved to Tokyo when I was about five years old as a family and that was such a treat for my young eyes at the time – Everything was so colourful! All the art, the fashion, the anime, the films, the advertisements on TV, the food! It was quite surreal in a way. I think that’s where I developed my curiosity and appreciation for art. Art has always resonated with me, all forms of art: painting, installation, film, photography, sculpture, literature, and dance.
Any creative form of self-expression helps me feel more alive. I try to visit a museum or gallery at least once or twice a week.
Define Your Ethics?
My brand is an eco-conscious and ethical brand. I implement the use of dead stock fabrics (surplus fabrics from mills and factories that would otherwise be sent to landfills thus causing tremendous pollution to the environment) as much as possible, for all of the printed fabrics – I strategically print them in the shapes of the patterns with the prints already in them to reduce waste – using only the amount of ink and fabric needed. All offcuts and fabric scrap leftovers are saved for future use and/or recycled/donated. The garments are also made-to-order to avoid overproduction and consumption.
Every piece is made in London, and everybody involved in the creation process works in a safe and comfortable environment and earns fair wages.
Is your heritage present in the collections?
A lot of what I design is inspired by the strong Saudi women in my life including my mother and aunts who I grew up with and witnessed their passion and strength. The growing number of Saudi women in the Kingdom making positive change is incredibly inspiring as well. This is exactly what my brand represents – bold women who are not afraid to express their opinions and make their voices heard. You will be seeing more unconventional references related to Saudi heritage and nostalgia in future collections. Stay tuned! We’re living in a time where women, especially Arab women are becoming increasingly empowered, and I would love nothing more than to make them feel more of that when they wear my garments. I hope to inspire young Arabs to follow their dreams and create work that resonates with people around the world.
What role do you think social media plays in fashion today?
Social media has become one of the most powerful tools for the fashion industry. With all the platforms available in the palm of our hands, everything has become so accessible especially in the digital era we are living in. Most of us nowadays (particularly during the pandemic) have been behind screens – this enabled brands and publications to showcase collections and content digitally more than ever. The shift has become a very effective method to generate sales, maintain relevancy and engage with customers. It’s very inspiring to see all the creative content that is being shared recently.
What is the next step for Ziyad Buainain?
The sky’s the limit. There is a lot I would love to do – like collaborating with artists and creatives that inspire me and creating innovative textiles, but my main priority right now is to focus on my work, keep learning and build my brand organically in hopes that my work and journey will inspire others.
Text by: Suna Ahmed
