Rigash, design process

Rigash’s FW’ 20/21 primarily explores the relationship between body and clothes. Lamia Rady, founder of Rigash, regards individual style as one’s chosen skin. Her collections aims to highlight one’s relationship to their personal body and how they experience it through her designs.

The inspiration for FW’ 20/21 was based and derived from Rady’s Egyptian heritage. Rady was inspired by elements from the Ancient Egyptian civilisation ; however, the collection rejected a traditional and global representation of Ancient Egypt. Rather, Rady broke down elements that inspired her and imbedded subtle codes as references to her heritage. Her designs include disproportionate shoulders inspired by ancient wall murals, the colour palette of the desert, and texture of alligator skin. The cutouts on the piece ‘Pant- short’ for instance, mimic the curved shape of the camel’s back.

Lamia took many trips to upper Egypt in pursuit for her pre-design research. She visited museums, photographed elements and collected found objects that would inspire her. She would scan some of her photographs and invert them to perhaps notice shapes, forms or textures that were not visible before. The collection, although heavily based on the past, it nevertheless aims to strike a balance between modernity and elements from ancient history.