Photo: Szilveszter Mako
Like a dazzling sunset, an exquisite, structured haut seems to capture the rays within its silk taffeta threads. Its golden hue evokes warmth, richness, and opulent couture. In all, it required 130 hours of craftsmanship by skilled petites mains. Meanwhile, a cascading, silk tulle gown hides between its skirts the secrets of patternmaking, fabric cutting, the assemblage of its layers, draping, hand-stitching, and elaborate beadwork. The garments are featured in what appear to be oil portraits from the Renaissance, but these romantic pictures, puissant with allure, are in fact images from Monsoori, a Bahraini couture brand led by founder Shaima Al Mansoori, to showcase its Fall 2023 collection.
Photo: Szilveszter Mako
“It was a time when womanly allure held an enigmatic charm, transcending convents and captivating hearts,” considers Al Mansoori of the epoch that serves as the backdrop to the latest collection. A symphony of classic hues – brilliant gold, midnight black, and verdant green – emerges to invite on a voyage through splendor, strength, nature, and hope. The couturier’s overarching aim is to remind that “authentic beauty transcends the confines of both time and space, inviting all to revel in the radiance of the inner self, and to celebrate the resplendence that lies within.”
Photo: Szilveszter Mako
A source of constant stimulus to the couturier, the European Renaissance marked the period from the Middle Ages to modernity and spanned the 15th and 16th centuries. Beginning in Florence, it was a cultural movement that saw realism and humanism infused in thought and art. Paintings were treated as windows into space; light and shadow and human anatomy were meticulously studied. Al Mansoori is well-versed in the Renaissance masters. She cites Giovanni de Paolo as a favored artist “because he possesses a remarkable ability to infuse his canvases with life. Through his deft brushstrokes, you get to explore a…
