TROUSERS
The story of the Qasimi Fashion house begins in Sharjah, a UAE Emirate which has been and remains today as a cultural cornerstone for Emirati and Bedouin culture. Over the years the brand has grown and has had its share of growing pains, including the loss of its founder Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi in 2019. Now headed by his sister and designer, artist, and even musician Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi has revived the brand to wide acclaim.
The cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates is best served first by heading to Sharjah, one of the 7 emirates, next to Dubai, where the essence of the Bedouin life can be seen and felt first hand in their musuems and historic installations. Sharjah museums have always been the jewel in the “crown” so to speak before the big boys upped their game in Abu Dhabi with the Louvre, Guggenheim, & Sheikh Zayed‘s Musuems grouping on Saadiyat Island .
Qasimi, which she has recently taken on as creative director. She couldn’t not do it, she said, “he worked so hard for it. . . . It was his legacy.” It was a new direction for Qasimi, who, aside from glamorous openings, can often be seen at biennials and art venues around the world dressed in a decidedly low-key, hyper-casual fashion. (Khalid was also in charge of the new Sharjah Architecture Triennial, which launched in November, and Qasimi took over that, too.)