Key Points
- Kurdish fashion has been paraded at Paris Fashion Week for the first time.
- Designer, Lara Dizeyee, says she draws inspiration from her family.
- Her work has in turn inspired a local Kurdish Australian designer.
Kurdish fashion has been showcased at a global fashion event for the first time.
The July edition of Paris Fashion Week (4 July to 7 July) featured 30 of Lara Dizeyee's designs with the occasion hailed as inspiration for one local designer.
Ms Dizeyee, who is based in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, was invited to showcase her work just 15 months since she began her clothing line and after she was featured in 'Vogue Arabia'.
Ms Dizeyee had an 11-year career in the oil and gas industry before becoming creative director of her company, Kurdish Haute Couture.
She has long been an inspiration for Melbourne-based designer, Airin Samadi.
“Being a Kurdish designer and showcasing her collection representing her heritage in Paris introduces the audience to a world of culture, beauty and diversity that not many people know about,” Ms Samadi said.
This will open doors for many designers to have their talents and hard work showcased on an international stage.Airin Samadi
Ms Samadi, who these days works as a Client Advisor for Australian fashion brand, Zimmermann, said Ms Dizeyee’s designs were “absolutely stunning” and successfully blended the roots of Kurdish fashion with modern themes.
She staged a local showcase of Kurdish-inspired fashion in 2019 as part of her Flinders University graduation portfolio.
Her Kurdish roots and heritage inspired her collection entitled 'Berivan+Shwan' after her parents.
'Not surprised' by PFW invitation
Ms Dizeyee told SBS Kurdish that she had been excited and happy but “not surprised” when invited to showcase her high-end designs at Paris Fashion Week.
“I put in so much work, so many hours and I designed them with so much hope and love, I just knew that one day (they) would reach one of the world stages," Ms Dizeyee said.
I’ve always been positive from day one. I design with a hopeful heart for a better future for Kurdistan (and) for my people.Lara Dizeyee
"And you know all my designs are inspired by a story, each named (and) based on a story. I love to share stories through my designs.”
Ms Dizeyee's designs are made from a wide range of fabrics including satin, silk, velvet, lace and georgette. Her outfits sell for between $7000 and $12,000.
Born in Vienna and raised in the US, she graduated from George Mason University with a degree in international relations and has spent the past 15 years living and working in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
Inspired by family
She said her main inspiration stemmed from her family’s rich history. When she was a young girl, she said she would watch her grandmother and aunts wear beautiful Kurdish costumes with layer upon layer of rich colours and patterns.
“I was always in awe when I would see my grandmother dressed in Kurdish clothes, so they inspired me in so many ways to start my own line of Kurdish haute couture,” she said.
The family left Kurdistan for the US when Ms Dizeyee was 12 after her father's life was threatened by the former Ba’ath regime in Iraq.
Her father is renowned poet, author, and singer, Homer Dizeyee, who has also had a profound impact on his daughter and the wider Kurdish culture.
Ms Dizeyee said her ultimate goal was to empower everyone and have people who wear her designs feel beautiful.
She said the most challenging aspect of having her designs featured during Paris Fashion Week had been the tight deadline to have everything prepared.
“I only had six weeks to produce 30 costumes and pair them with the appropriate jewellery. I was fortunate I could use designs from my first, second and third collections," Ms Dizeyee said.
"I modified and elevated a lot of those designs to suit the show. So, I had very little time to make sure I presented very beautiful, very charming, and elegant costumes and (after) a lot of work, it worked out well."
