Brits Abroad
04-02-2008
London
based designer Ziad Ghanem recently caused a storm in the States with his
junior line ‘Maiden Britain’. Merging punk aesthetics with couture techniques,
the latest Maiden Britain line features Union Jack prints, explicit messages
and in-your-face silhouettes.
Legendary
stylist and image creator, Kenny Ho, recently picked out Ziad’s designs for the
catwalk showdown on episode 4 of the Bravo TV show. Kenny loved the collection
and used Ziad’s pieces on all of the male models in the runway section. A world
away from your everyday attire, not only did the models have to show their
versatility but they had to work a collection which includes dresses – for the
boys.
“I wanted
to make the show more exciting and push the boundaries,” comments Kenny. “Being
a British stylish in New York I thought it would be great to bring some British
nostalgia to the US version of the show and I love to use designers that are
conceptual and interesting.”
At first
the models were horrified, one complained that the collection was for
anarchists while another wanted to know why the Union Jack was being featured
and not the American flag. Kenny, the original ‘pop’ stylist, soon eased the
tension when he insisted that he knew what he was doing. This is the guy that
created the original image for the Spice Girls after all.
Model
contestant Frankie commented post show that his “biggest challenge was wearing
a dress and making it look masculine,” but he admitted; he “had fun with it.”
Those that
know Ziad Ghanem’s designs understand that dark humour often runs throughout
his collections. “Maiden Britain,” he says, “is not about being British; it’s
an international vision of what people think being British is.”
Once the
show was aired the feedback was extremely positive. Viewers liked the fact that
the models were challenged and that Kenny had provided the show with designs
that were unique and exciting.
To view the
catwalk showdown featuring Ziad’s designs go to:
http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=212478
www.myspace.com/kennyhostylist
JoJo Iles