Abdul Kareem Aladhami fled to Vienna, Austria, as a refugee of the Iraq war almost a decade ago. Now 27 years old, they have managed to defy all odds as a refugee and started their own gender-neutral fashion line, Kareem Aladhami. Their latest collection, B-RAVE, pays homage to their Iraqi heritage and shares messages of peace, all while promoting a sustainable and circular fashion movement. This is why Kareem Aladhami by Abdul Kareem Aladhami is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Gender Equality, Responsible Consumption and Production and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
Designs by Kareem Aladhami contain traces of avant-garde cuts and patterns found in pieces by Yohji Yamamoto and Rick Owens. Like these popular names, Kareem Aladhami layers and deconstructs fabric and garments for both functional and conceptual purposes. In general, they would allude to Deleuze's philosophy of The Fold, a philosophical theory that thinks of folds as a mechanism of the universe. Designers like Yamamoto, Owens, and now Kareem Aladhami, use the philosophy in a very literal sense, thinking of the folds and layering of folds in their designs as a mirror of how their reality shifts and contracts.
In Kareem Aladhami’s designs, here and there, fabrics are torn apart and put together in a precarious yet intentional way. These design choices tell the story of a culture ripped apart by war, reflecting on the experiences of its people who are struggling to live on with memories of ruins that were once called home. Kareem Aladhami’s pieces are meticulously constructed, to the point that they could have easily been in the Denis Villeneuve Dune films. In fact, the costume design and much of the culture of the Arrakis people portrayed in Dune is based on SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) culture, the culture that Kareem Aladhami belongs to and is rightfully inspired by.
Kareem Aladhami’s designs are not only conceptually forward but also built with sustainability and the planet’s longevity in mind. They often use multiple thrifted materials to create a single new piece. For example, the 2x1 Knit & Crochet Dress where they combined a secondhand knitted dress with a gifted crochet dress. This ensures that pieces by Kareem Aladhami are not generating new fashion waste but are instead contributing to reducing it.
Abdul Kareem Aladhami’s journey from a war refugee to a trailblazing designer is inspirational at best. They have decided that not only will their brand be gender neutral but also sustainable, all while paying homage to their SWANA heritage, honouring their background, and calling for peace. Without doubt, Kareem Aladhami’s work is a testament to the transformative power of art and fashion, which is exciting to witness.
Find out more about fashion designs by Abdul Kareem Aladhami and their other initiatives by checking their Instagram on @kareem.aladhami.