Text by Jesse Scott
Presented in the Monnaie de Paris, Ashi Studio’s Fall/Winter 2024 couture collection took guests into a dark fever dream - in the best way. Entitled Sculpted Clouds, the collection emphasized the abstract, with creative director Mohammed Ashi explaining that it was “born of pure emotions translating the human experience.” Voluminous yet structured, wool, velvet and cashmere clothed a bold heroine secure in her elegance and comfortable in her own darkness.
Whirlwind of Emotion Envelops Fierce Heroines
In an age where many designers feel pressured to find a singular inspiration or theme for a collection, Ashi let his emotions take over. “At the creative onset, feelings appeared like flashes to me—courage and determination, grace, and protection,” he said. The result was a series of largely monochrome looks that clothed their wearers like armor, with broad shoulders and clearly defined structure.
Midnight black was the primary protagonist and featured on many of my favorite looks. Texture play emphasized the versatility of this color, which looked stately on a velvet coat in dramatic hourglass form and seductive on a bedazzled semi-transparent gown with a deep V-neck and an ethereal quality. One highlight was a glittering mesh dress with a collection of grape-like clusters (a recurring motif) on the shoulders. This look epitomized the dream-like nature of the collection; delightfully incongruous, it faded from geometric structure to crystalline liquid in the same way our control of the subconscious slips away as we sleep.
Ashi interspersed surprising materials in the collection with devastating effect. A gold brocade look with exaggerated sleeves and a dramatic neckline made a bold statement with furry shoes in a regal blue. Ashi referenced drapes in describing the collection, and indeed this look seemed to have been crafted from the velvety curtains of a salon in a rococo castle. An architectural beige horsehair piece was also a highlight; plumes of horsehair gracefully waved like the mane of a sauntering stallion as the model walked down the runway. Meanwhile, an intricately-embroidered all-white silhouette cocooned the body like an opulent tortoiseshell, the exaggerated neckline shifting rhythmically with each step.
Celebrity Guests Celebrate Ashi’s Latest Victory
The weather outside was stifling but that didn’t stop stars like Sadie Sink, Michelle Williams, and Tom Hollander from taking in the Saudi designer’s latest spectacle. They witnessed the gradual unfolding of an infinite yet intimate darkness, like the depths of an ocean cave or the recesses of our minds as we drift into sleep. “I imagined a world where the soul moves from one place to another,” Ashi said. “My muse is the woman who is always searching. She embraces her fate, whatever it may be.”
