Aiisha Ramadan
Aiisha Ramadan (born January 14, 1983) is a Lebanese fashion designer who launched her own fashion brand, AIISHA under the companies’ name of Corset Fashions. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Aiisha has grown from couture to a high end ready to wear brand. Inspired by contemporary silhouettes while preserving the traditional glamour of Middle East fashion, Aiisha has become one of the growing number of designers arising in the region.
Early Life
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Aiisha’s family moved to the United Arab Emirates in 1983 where they resided in the Emirate of Sharjah. Having a passion for fashion at a very young age, Aiisha enjoyed making clothes for her dolls from fabric scraps left by her aunt who is a tailor. Inspired by everything around her, she imaged a world filled with crystals, color and beauty. Encouraged by her family, Aiisha attended the American University in Dubai where she received a Diploma in Fashion Design in 2002. That same year, Aiisha trained briefly for now renowned fashion designer Rami El-Ali. Even during her years studying at AUD, Aiisha gained recognition for her distinct evening wear collection and was awarded the prestigious Young designer of the Year 2000 by Swarovski.
By 2009, Aiisha was named one of thirty Awesome Arabian Women by Arabian Women Magazine, selected a four times as an Ahlan! HOT 100, and later received the Gr8! Women Awards in 2011. In 2013, she was nominated as Woman of the Year at the Emirates Women Awards. The designer developed her fashion career as a stylist on Dubai TV, worked behind the scenes at Infiniti TV while working as a senior satellite coordinator for the MBC Group in Dubai since 1st April 2002 until present. Ramadan also has experience as a freelance writer in her own blog segment for Zahrat Al Khaleej’s online magazine edition.
Career
Aiisha’s first fashion show was showcased in 2006. However, the brand officially launched in September 2007. What started out as couture dresses for specific clients became a fashion house under Corset Fashions. Aiisha appointed fashion blogger Tala Samman from myfashdiary.com to be the face of the AIISHA Couture spring/summer 2012 collection, “Le Pouvoir de la Poudre,” which was represented in a video clip shot in Dubai. The collection was highlighted by a 3D fashion show, the first in the Middle East in an event hosted by celebrity stylist June Ambrose and Ariel.
Originally focusing on Couture which is the foundation of the Aiisha label, the designer expanded the company by creating a bridal collection in April 2012 titled, “White,” which is sold exclusively in the Middle East at Frost Boutique in Dubai Used to be in Jumeirah now located in Al Wasl Jumeirah. “Flirt” by Aiisha launched the same year and was sold exclusively for ICONIC Boutique. Collaborating with Landmark Group ICONIC Boutique, a chic fashion and lifestyle concept store with multiple branches across the gulf region, Aiisha created the prêt-a-porter line that become the younger and flirty side of the Aiisha brand and consisted of kaftans and cocktail dresses. Aiisha announced that her fifth season with ICONIC will be the last.
Aiisha’s latest line “I by Aiisha” is the companies’ first high-end ready-to-wear label that was launched in April 2013 at the Infiniti Center in Dubai and is currently it was represented for 1 year only in NY – Now its represented by Leads Associates being represented in the USA. The fall/winter collection was titled “Mirror,” and was inspired by the individuality, evolution and the numerous personalities of women.Its video campaign, filmed by Rupert Chesman was highlighted by TV presenter Joelle Mardinian, Moroccan singer Asma Lmnawar, TV presenter Mohammad Abu Obeid, and Bollywood actor Arjan Bajwa. The collections Look Book was shot by renowned photographer Mazen Abusrour.
Aiisha Ramadan has partnered with many international brands in the past such as Nokia, Clinique, Cadbury, Manolo_Blahnik, Victoria Casal, Infiniti, Blackberry, La Prairie, Revlon and Lolita Lempicka. In 2011, Aiisha was chosen as a guest designer for New Zealand’s Next Top Model, became the ambassador of Wella Koleston Color-Intense Foam in 2012 and became the fabric expert of Ariel Arabia in 2013. In the summer of 2013, the designer was a judge of reality-TV makeup competition by FACES cosmetic company on the MBC network in Dubai.
In 2012, Aiisha invited and showcased at the Kazakhstan Fashion Week.
Fashion show organizer and model Jessica Minh Anh chose the AIISHA label as her favorite UAE designer to represent the Prêt-à-Porter sector from the Middle East at the J Spring Fashion Show. The show took place on the famous River Seine in Paris on May 30, 2013.