Queen of Spades opens the Arab Fashion Week 2016 with a very, merry sartorial collection ‘Le Voyage du Carnaval’

It is a crisp summer day – perfect for an outing at the fair. The clear, blue sky is dotted with candy-floss clouds. Long queues meandering its way to the rides and roller coasters, ferris wheels and carousels. Children smacking on ice cream, popcorn, sweets and snacks. Stilt walkers, jugglers, contortionists and acrobats are showing off their skills. Cheerful music fills the carnival grounds….

Now that we have transported you to the fair grounds, we are ready to tell you all about Le Voyage du Carnaval -- the latest collection from Queen of Spades. Inspired by the glamour and shine, fun and frolic of a vintage fair, this is a collection of dresses and gowns that is ready to put the sparkle on for the grand opening show of the Arab Fashion Week 2016.

Sequins and shiny patchworks, tulle, lace and mesh works are all set to take you to the vintage fairs. It was a recent family holiday to Australia that set the stage for Lamya Abedin’s latest collection of 30 unique dresses she has put together for the headlining show at the Arab Fashion Week.

“Back in the day, fairs were like a fashion parade. Ladies dressed up in their Sunday bests to visit the travelling fairs that came to town. That free-spirit, the journey of the touring carnival and the lively environment have all come together in my latest collection - Le Voyage du Carnaval. I was mermerised by the cultural mix, the play of colours, the euphoric mood of fetes, fairs and cavalcades. So I set out to reproduce their sartorial charm for this collection,” says Abedin.

Romantic florals have been paired with stripes, polkas, hound’s tooth checks and argile prints. The patterns have been played up in full glamour with velvets, satin, an abundance of bright sequins and hand embroidery on feminine laces, tulles and delicate mesh fabrics.

Expect lots of combinations. Brocades with rich velvets, sequins with prints, embellishments on lace and a generous play with tulle and lace have been used to a create a tantalizing feast for the eyes.

Candy colours rule the look. You will find baby blush pinks, mint greens, sweet peaches, hues of corals, sugar plum violets, shades of amethyst, burgundy, crimson, cerise, ebony, indigos, midnight blues - all creatively combined and paired with a mix of textures, monochromes and neutrals. Subtle tints of sandy beiges, fawn, and achromatic grey have been played with generous tones of gold, copper, silver and bronze.  

Abedin has used flowy skirts, revel cuts, pleats and gathered hemlines with oodles of ruffles in her latest creations. Gainsborough hats, Bretons and floral wreaths accesorise the glamourous occasion dresses. Plum lips and soft curls completed the look.

The result, as Abedin desired, is a sartorial splendour of occasion dresses with the right amount of fun amalgamated with high fashion.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey of reliving the transitional life of travelling carnivals with my latest creations. It is an honour to be showing my latest designs at the Arab Fashion Week, which is the perfect podium for a designer showcasing to an evolved, fashion-forward audience. I do hope everyone enjoys my show and exclusive designs as much as I have loved putting it together,” says Abedin.