Introduction

Leighton House Museum, Holland Park, presents Islamic artist Karimah Bint Dawoud’s fashion exhibition,The Karamah Kaftan Kouture as part of the Festival of Muslim Cultures 2006.

Artist in residence has designed a collection of garments that are influenced by the Oriental interior of Leighton House museum’s artefacts to produce a collection of garments, photographs and painting and textile work that interpret Orentalism for the perspective of a Muslim woman, grown in the west and shaped by the east. Leighton House Museum , a Victorian mansion house includes the fabulous and famous Arab Hall, containing over 2ooo Islamic ceramics mainly from the Ottoman Turkish period in Islamic art. The house also contains many other Islamic art pieces that fuse beautifully with the Victorian house.

A beautiful fusion of east and west, a bit like Karimah really, mashaallah, (as God would have it be).

Through Karimah’s initiative, this exhibition seeks to promote other contributing artists work as well as her own. The Karamah Arts Organisation, which she is a part of, also has models, makeup artists, stylists, photographers, graphic and web designers that have also contributed to the beauty of this exhibitions making and they can be contacted through the Karamah website.

Background Information

Karimah, a Muslim revert to Islam, of European and Asian African heritage, is proud of the fact that the first person to embrace Islam was a woman, Khadijah the first wife of Prophet Mohammed. Other important women in Islam: Maryam, Aisha and Fatima and the spiritual cosmology associated with these women and the archetypes that they represent, have been an influence for her garment designs. The feminine trinity of virgin, mother, crone also add to the layering of meaning that this collection represents.

• Adding to this trilogy is Fatima ……… completing the quatro, the mother of the believers and the daughter of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh – peace be upon him)…she has to be the archetype of Noble woman.

 Current Trends

 The Renaissance of retro in fashion and interiors design, now a major flavour in current fashion trends means that this fusion of Victoriana and Islamic Orientalism is a combination that is attractive to diverse audiences. Karimah Bint Dawoud, Islamic designer and Central St Martins graduate, presents an eclectic couture collection that is special in that it blends this fusion of cultures and is so complementary to the vibe of Leighton House.

Karamah Kaftan Kouture collection are garments that are hand beaded, hand painted and are only special occasion and evening wear.

The embellishments in these garments are inspired by motifs in the Islamic Ottoman ceramics and tiles in Leighton House. All of the garments are one off pieces that seek to enhance the unity of the fashion and fine art works.

How works reflects on background information given:-

Aisha, the young virgin bride

One of Karimah’s designs is themed around Aisha, the virgin betrothed to Prophet. The design is a bridal outfit consisting of three parts; a dress, an under-blouse and a jacket. The historical influence that dictates the silhouette of this piece is linked to the Victorian age and was created in the Leighton House Museum .

The colour palette for this piece is made up of salmon pinks and shocking pink satins, cream taffeta, yellow ochre and a touch of blue dupion silks. These colours seek to express joy, playfulness, happiness, a feeling of liveliness and freshness. In the cosmology of many cultures pink is a colour that is associated with joy, femininity inspired by the Ottoman ceramics at the museum.

The predominant colour in the ceramics at the Leighton House Museum is turquoise and this vibrant colour is a common thread that runs through all of the costumes.

Maryam the Mother

Historically the mother of Isa /Jesus (peace be upon him) undoubtedly the most famous mother in history is often projected wearing many shades of sea blue.

The divinity of her motherhood, demands that a very special dress needs to be made for this lady: something regal, at the same time sensual, therefore soft lilac satins embellished with a myriad of turquoise, purple beads and sequins with a petrol blue bodice that ties together under the bust, are chosen to define the graceful Empire style.

Khadijah Elder Woman of Wisdom

Wise elder woman and the first wife of Prophet Mohammed is the inspiration for the third piece. She is representative of the crone: the wise older woman, a term that has been corrupted by the dominant patriarchal culture. Khadijah was the first wife of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) married when he was 25 and she was 40. Whilst married to her he married no other woman until she died. She was an international business woman who had already been married and had children. A very powerful woman in her own right who supported his call to prophet hood in every way she could with her wisdom and provided him with the understanding he needed.

Representative of this deep spiritual wisdom that this woman possessed, black was chosen as the dominant colour in the palette: in cosmology it represents spiritual wisdom and power.

• The silhouette once again is Victorian and taken from an Oscar De La Renta design: small waist, full skirt, large long puffy sleeves and high collar. This coat dress is embellished with hand painted and beaded Mongolian fan flower motifs, in vibrant turquoise and copper tones, taken from three special tiles in Leighton House.

Fatima- daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

• Adding to this trilogy is Fatima ……… completing the quatro, the mother of the believers and the daughter of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh – peace be upon him)…she has to be the Queen.
• Colour palette is dominated by the colour green, which was the favourite colour of the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him. Green and sumptuous colours relative to this colour story consists of butter lemon silks, lime green Chantilly lace, hand embroidered Islamic motifs on dupion silk.
• This time the silhouette is more Oriental than Victorian drawing upon Moorish tradition and Chinese embroidery style.
• All together a collection that most women would love to wear to special occasions.
• In Islamic tradition these kinds of clothes are only to be worn by women for women’s events or for their close family as modesty in every day life is encouraged to protect the dignity and femininity of woman
• We hope you enjoy the exhibition and the collection inshallah ( God willing) and we look forward to your responses, may Allah bless you and show you the peace of Islam inshallah ...