With his official debut on the Paris Haute Couture calendar, Rami Al Ali didn’t just showcase fashion—he sparked a cultural revival. His Fall/Winter 2025–26 collection, titled Guardians of Light – The Living Craft of Damascus, wasn’t merely stitched from silk and tulle—it was woven from history, memory, and ancestral artistry.

Al Ali, a Syrian couturier based in Dubai, has long graced Paris with his creations hors calendrier, but this moment marked a turning point—for his brand, for Syrian identity, and for the preservation of craft as couture.

A Designer’s Homeland, Reimagined in Thread

Each gown was an act of guardianship. In collaboration with the Syrian Crafts Council, Al Ali unearthed historic artistry—from the carved wood of Al-Azm Palace to the tiled serenity of Jami' al-Darwishiyya. Architectural motifs, rhythmic mosaics, and fading ceiling frescos were reinterpreted into draped silhouettes and gleaming textures.

Standouts Included

A gold mashrabiya-inspired gown formed from woven silk strands.

A velvet devoré organza dress, its surface artfully tufted to evoke a memory in motion.

A sculptural asymmetric piece, gold-leafed organza hand-cut to echo the mosaic floors of ancient homes.

Every piece whispered of Damascus: its artisans, its courtyards, its disappearing beauty—brought to life not in mourning, but as a declaration.

Heritage is Haute

Al Ali made it clear—this isn’t nostalgia. “The loss of craft is the loss of our identity,” he said backstage. With Guardians of Light, he is offering a path of renewal. His vision? To revive Syrian craft not just for couture connoisseurs, but for a younger Syrian generation disconnected from their creative roots.

In doing so, he also cements his role as a modern-day cultural archivist—his runway a living museum.

Couture with a Cause

With soft blues, luminous golds, and grounding blacks, the collection struck a balance between serenity and strength. There’s breeziness, but there’s also weight—of legacy, of conflict, of pride.

And while the show may have drawn stars like Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, and Beyoncé in the past, this season’s spotlight was on the unnamed artisans whose fingerprints linger on every carved door and embroidered seam in Syria.

In Guardians of Light, Rami Al Ali doesn’t just design dresses—he preserves a disappearing world. This is couture that remembers, reclaims, and radiates.