'They always told me to wear black, but I wear a thousand colours,' says Dima Ayad. The Lebanese-born, Dubai-based designer has a 'more is more' mantra, and believes maximalist dressing should be for everyone, whatever their clothing size. Ayad practises what she preaches; her eponymous brand offers pieces in sizes XS to 4XL.
It makes perfect sense that size-inclusive Italian brand Marina Rinaldi would tap Ayad for an eveningwear capsule collection, launched in time for the festive period’s many party dressing opportunities. There are ultra-glam kaftans – one in shimmering gold, another in emerald-green with a constellation of rhinestones – as well as a show-stopping kimono dress (one of Ayad’s personal favourites) in two-tone gold and violet. The designer also worked with Marina Rinaldi to create two impeccably cut suits in cerise-pink and black, both liberally embellished – of course.
I sat down with Dima at Marina Rinaldi’s Mayfair boutique to chat about embracing maximalism, size-inclusive fashion and, of course, the covetable new capsule.
How did the capsule collection with Marina Rinaldi first come about?
I’m a diehard Marina Rinaldi shopper. My wardrobe consists of Marina Rinaldi! I’m wearing Marina Rinaldi as we speak. I would always go to the store in London and chat to Diletta, who is their Retail Manager, about eveningwear.
I was really close to everyone in the stores, in Paris, London, and even Beirut; in the world of plus, you have a very different relationship with your clients. They become your friends because they understand the different trials and tribulations of having a hard time finding clothes. When I come to this townhouse, there’s something very tranquil about being here. It’s very homey and you don’t feel like you're spending, you feel like you are investing in yourself.
So anyway, long story short – one day, I received a call from Diletta and she said 'Look, we’d really like to meet the General Manager for Marina Rinaldi. There's a potential opportunity for a capsule collection, would you go to London?' and I said, ‘Sure!’ I really thought then that it was fictional, I appreciated the effort but didn't know if it would materialise and then before I knew it, one week later I was here. We started the capsule and now here are. Voila!
Would you say this collection fills a gap in the market for eveningwear in extended sizing?
I didn't entirely think there was a lack of eveningwear but as a plus-sized woman myself, I actually tried on so many different pieces and thought, let's not think commercial, let's think creative and get people to really feel that whatever size you are, if the cut is right for you, you can wear anything.
There is a black staple in the collection but everything is loud and sparkly. There is gold, feathers, crystals on jackets and blazers. It’s a loud capsule that sends the message that at any size, if it suits you – you should pull it off.
Why is colour so important to you, both in your design philosophy and personally?
You can buy black trousers from any super brand, you don’t need me for that. In order to be a stand-out designer you need to have pieces that are you. Colour also changes the world. When my mother died almost two years ago, I wore black for some time and it really hit me. And in the Arab world you have to wear black for a little longer, but I actually broke the rule and I started wearing white, and pink, and orange, and yellow, and my mood was instantly lifted.
It’s also about confidence as it takes a lot of balls to wear canary-yellow, fuchsia or metallics, no matter how confident you are. Clothes bring confidence when you’re not uncomfortable and when you’re dressed in something that fits you – it’s almost like armour. I always wanted women to feel really confident in what they’re wearing with my designs.
What was your creative process for this collection?
As a brand that has been in business for over 40 years, Marina Rinaldi is a wonderful working machine that has an army of amazing things behind them. So for example, if a designer says 'find me feathers', in 10 minutes you have a bunch of different feather examples brought to you. As a smaller designer, when I start designing I always look at fabric first because I don’t want to encounter something I can’t find.
I went back to the basics of what I want to wear as a plus-sized woman and what I can't find. I could never find a statement evening jacket or a great blazer that I could wear with the sleeves rolled up, with jeans and a tank top. I also really wanted a beautiful kaftan that I could wear in the evening and also to the beach as most of my clients spend Christmas with their families and then go on beach vacations.
Purple is my favourite colour and I’m Aquarian so it’s my stone. I became obsessed with the idea of wearing purple and gold together. And then feathers for something extra, and fuchsia, as I know Marina Rinaldi does that colour really well.
What are your favourite pieces?
The items arrived from Marina Rinaldi to my house a couple of days ago, so as I was packing, I started trying them on to know what I would wear for London and Paris. First, I thought I was going to wear the blazer and pants, but then when I put on the purple dress, my heart stopped. I went from falling in love with the blazer to dying to wear the purple dress. I even got Gucci slingbacks to match!
I definitely would say the purple dress, suit, and the beautiful gold kaftan. I would wear it on the beach in Ibiza and at an evening event or Christmas dinners. It was the perfect dream thing to pull off. Those are my leading contenders.
You have influencer Vivian Hoorn fronting the campaign. Tell me about how that came about.
There's a guru at Marina Rinaldi, his name is Fabio. He always envisions who would be the right face for every collection. The team gave me a series of options to choose and Vivian was the perfect fit. We went out for dinner twice, and had the same handbags – the Chanel 2.55 in black, we both walked in wearing them! We are now friends!
You're known for your kaftan and kimono shapes, why are you drawn to these silhouettes?
I think anyone who has a brand needs to create key pieces that are timeless. When you find something that suits you, you buy it in every colour and every design it comes in to make sure your wardrobe is filled with designs that suit you.
Because I know what that feels like and how many times people ask for it, I don’t want people to overlook that. Especially because these kaftans have elements that make them unique. They don't have seams – the world of plus just has seams everywhere to 'make you look smaller'. It also semi-covers the arms which a lot of women struggle with. I wear a lot of sleeves and straps but I understand when people want to cover their arms. It’s also never a straight cut, they’re always cut round. If you cut something round, the whole silhouette changes.
Do you have a woman in mind when designing?
The woman is a very busy person, always on the go. She packs in carry-ons and she doesn't like to buy too many things, just enough to repeat and re-use. I'm very much like that. Even though I'm in the world of fashion, my wardrobe isn't too excessive because I find it ridiculous to buy too many things and never wear them.
For the pleated pieces, they weigh nothing and can go in the carry-on with shoes with space for more. I always think about functionality. The gold dress is so lightweight that you can put seven more dresses in with it. I had the suit in my suitcase and I pulled it out and I promise you, it had zero creases. It’s perfect as it is.
Clothes should be luxurious but functional at the same time. Women just want to be comfortable, no special underwear or strapless bras needed!
What’s next for you?
Marina Rinaldi and I are doing another capsule together. We have a lot of exciting ideas. As for my own brand, it’s doing really well and growing, and we continue to work with NET-A-PORTER and more. The brand has a lot of appetite in Europe and the US, and our homebase Dubai and the region, and I'm slowly growing that without being too greedy but also not moving away from my own DNA. Our philosophy remains the same, we design in a 4XL first and then we make an XS to make sure our designs suit everybody as best as we can.
I do that because I don't believe in starting with XS. If it suits someone bigger, chances are it will suit someone smaller and if you have that ethos in mind and you keep on thinking about that woman you win because not a lot of people think about her. That is why I love Marina Rinaldi so much because that's who they think about.
Women come up to me and say, 'I met my husband wearing that dress' or 'I got a great deal wearing your dress' and I love hearing that because all kinds of ages are wearing my designs. From an 18-year-old graduate to a mother-of-the-bride, all generations are pulling it off in their own way and to me that’s a total win.
Shop the Marina Rinaldi x Dima Ayad capsule collection at marinarinaldi.com and at Marina Rinaldi flagship stores
