This time we're taking a little look back at a collection that we, as much as it pains us to admit, actually almost missed. Hamda Al Fahim is a relatively new designer who has stepped into the bridal fashion world of late. Located in Abu Dhabi, Hamda Al Fahim began her career in interior design but moved onto designing bridal collections since she would love to sketch wedding gowns in her spare time ever since her teenage years. Her website is under construction and while we found out that she does indeed ship worldwide, her stockists are near impossible to find in Europe, let alone Ireland. All this has proved two things. Firstly, that she has become a notoriously elusive designer spurred on by word of mouth and Pinterest boards. Secondly, this word of mouth and constant repinning has spurred on fashion hungry brides to want these dresses even more. Not that all this buzz and hype around Hamda Al Fahim is unfounded – in fact, it’s more than well-deserved. Her dresses are absolutely breath-taking, which is why we have leaped past their recent Spring /Summer collection to look at the Fall 2014, which has more of a focus on bridal dresses. And what beautiful wedding gowns they are.
To begin with, the dresses are predominantly varied in their design and each is individually distinct in terms of its colour and style. They range from the classic white gowns, to dusty grey dresses and a stunning royal blue organza gown. The white dresses provide us with very slim silhouettes and a simplistic beauty. The focus here is clearly on the frame and structure of the gown, with very minimal adornment that brings the eye to the curves of the female form. Those slight adornments that Hamda Al Fahim did choose to include provide a further sense of glamour and elegance to what is already a very striking wedding dress. For example, one particular white dress has given us a simple, carefully structured bodice and skirt but with heavy, glittering shoulder detail. The neckline is dotted with lattice embellished lace and sequins, with just a delicate stretch reaching from the bust to the tip of the shoulders.
Another white gown of hers in a similar design is in keeping with the principle of a clean, unlettered bodice and skirt – but with the detail laying at the bottom of the gown. This wedding dress features a crossing halter neck and leads onto a slim, fitted silhouette until the end skirt erupted from the knee in a sheathed of feathered ruffles. The effect was stunning, creating a skirt that featured just enough glamour to add another dimension to the dress without overwhelming its basic structure, which is chic and elegant with a hint of luxury. In terms of these wedding dresses, Hamda Al Fahim is fully capable of bringing to life the principle of less is more.
Moving on from the classic white gowns that she has created, we are simply in awe of the grey dresses that Hamda Al Fahim has showed us. Featured briefly in our grey wedding dress feature, these gowns are perfect for the bride who wants to go with a more contemporary twist on an off-white wedding dress. Again, this collection of grey dresses is distinctly different from her white gowns. While the white had a quiet glamour, the grey has a louder, bolder design feel. Using different fabrics, Hamda Al Fahim has gone ahead and created glamorous gowns with lavish lace, fringing and glitter. One of these grey gowns has an illusion bodice, with intricate appliqued fabric along the waist, which leads into a flowing skirt that continued down with a light lace design.
Another grey wedding dress with the same design principle was even more lavish than the first. In a highly ornate and detailed design, this grey wedding dress boasts a plethora of fringes and sparkling effects that covers the entire gown. It begins with a straight-form bodice that then reachs into a delicate, picturesque tapestry of colour on the side of the gown with two white doves at the centre. The fact that Hamda Al Fahim combined a delicate grey with a cascade of glittering tassels down the skirt and a colourful embroidered scene on its side was commendable. What could’ve been a very unsteady and unsuccessful combination of such individually bold design aspects, in fact turned out to be a triumph. This grey dress is possibly the most ornate and lavish wedding gown we have seen to date, and is a huge success. We just love its glitter and sophisticated shape with the unusual and eye catching embroidery. It is certainly a wedding dress fit for a bride who wants to stand out and be seen on her wedding day.
After the elegant white dresses and her lavish grey gowns, Hamda Al Fahim also gave us another coloured gown to swoon over. As her typical style was emerging throughout the course of the collection, in terms of straight silhouettes, fringing and embroidery, this gown is so different it merely proves how versatile and adaptable Hamda Al Fahim can be as a designer. Instead of the previous straight lines and signature detailing, this wedding dress is a royal blue satin organza gown with corset detailing. The fabric is rich and ceremonial, while the billowing skirt and structured corset makes for an absolute show-stopping wedding gown. The light and delicate shade of blue creates an illusion of grandeur, especially paired with the silk. There is no doubt that this gown, and all the other creations by Hamda Al Fahim, are modern fairy-tales created in the form of wedding dresses.
- Roisin Curran
Image Credits: Hamda Al Fahim Fall 2014: Pinterest