Reema Al-Banna: Fashion fires up her passion

Fashion has become an intrinsically hot talking point for people in the Middle East thanks to their desire to look better. And Dubai is at the forefront of this evolving phenomenon as more and more candidates here seem to be coming forward to become a fashion designer. Believe it or not, the dresses they are designing speak volumes about their endeavor to make it big in this competitive industry.
So it leads me to think of the one and only designer Reema Al-Banna who is pushing the envelope at full throttle. It’s no surprise that she is the owner of an award-winning line “Reemami” in the UAE at a young age today.
Digging into quirky yet pretty things was what always intrigued her when she was a kid. “I always picked my own outfits and was never too shy to try new trends first while growing up,” she says.
Realizing her profound love of fashion, Reema enrolled at “ESMOD” as part of helping herself with regard to all the fashion design aspects from pattern drafting to tailoring to designing and organizing her fashion shows and so forth. “I truly believe the real working experience I’ve had is what took me in the direction of understanding the nitty-gritty of the whole trade. It was a big, big advantage for me,” she says.
Now that she was fully equipped with the know-how of the word “fashion”, she allowed in a pool of fresh energy in her life by launching her eponymous label in 2009. “It has been taking solid baby steps ever since which then translated into bringing my brand at a stage where I could proudly push it even higher and faster. That way, so far so good,” she says.
In the end, what matters the most are things that make her designs stand out from far away. “That’s because I love to design new things and invent new styles as well as create prints from scratch. Every collection I come up with has a new theme, which makes it more fun to work with. I’m never scared to put a bold print on a jacket, or cut a never done before print.”
The color dynamics play an important role in her collections. She says she is always interested to know what colors flatter which skin complexions and what do girls feel beautiful in. “After all, they make clothes look alive.”
She gets inspired from things she goes through in her everyday life. It’s clearly reflected through her Resort16 collection which explores the iconography of food and its role and visibility across social media.
Her series of surreal ‘instafood’-inspired hand-drawn/illustrated prints and graphics allude to how food has seamlessly become part of our daily lives, aesthetically and socially.
“As the boundaries became ever more blurred and a new digital reality emerges, Reemami takes on an avant-garde approach blending relatable symbols into this season’s vision, with the topical referencing of ordinary yet coveted items, from coffee cups and plates to chopped onions and fried eggs,” she says.
While celebs endorsing designs by designers help promote their brand portfolio, there is no denying that quality and originality will ultimately decide the future of your label.
“It’s nice to see a known personality in my designs. However it’s equally fun to see a trendy girl enjoying my designs day after day,” Reema claims.
When all is said and done, she feels highly blessed to be living in Dubai, which is on the threshold of opening a new chapter for creative personnel in the world of fashion, which is startling in many ways. “I’m so happy and grateful to take part in the ever emerging fashion industry in this beautiful city. It’s great to have Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC) involved deeply with their designers, from mentorship to involving us in events and more,” she says.
With this comes a huge responsibility to live up to the expectations of your customers. And to do that, she has something nice up her sleeve. “I hope to make knockout collections season after season and expand internationally and also reach a wider audience. So just need to wait and watch,” she says.
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