JADE COUTURE
Al-Kahina The Warrior Queen
BY SUNA MOYA - 31 AUGUST 2020
Al-Kahina The Warrior Queen
The latest Jade Couture collection is dedicated to a true Warrior Queen. Born in the 7th century and considered one of the first feminists in North African History, Dihya was a female leader with Berber tribe origins and is indeed known over most of North Africa. Mostly as a heroine, a woman who in today’s terms would be referred to as “liberated.”
She was given the title of al-Kahina, which in Arabic means priestess, soothsayer. She was presumed to have a prophetic gift and was worshipped by her people.
Named ‘Dihya the Gazelle,' this strong, beautiful. imposing long haired statuesque woman together with her warriors, fought valiantly against the invading tribes from the east.
She is supposed to have defeated Hasan ibn al-Nu'man the leader of the Arabic army.
Following the attack on the Byzantine city of Carthage, legend has it that she slashed and burned the land so as to make it useless to the invading Arab army. In Berber society, women had always played a strong role in such important respects.
As leadership and inheritance, Berbers have embodied al-Kahina as a core cultural figure.
Jade Couture takes us in this dreamy collection in vivid imagery which conveys a certain mood or emotion.
JADE COUTURE
Al-Kahina The Warrior Queen
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THE LOOKS
Art Direction + Styling By
01 Beige Silk Satin Caftan Dress. Hand Stitched Crystal Embroidered Belt.
02 White Caftan (Cleopatra) In Pure Silk, Embroidered With Gold Silk Threads and Crystals.
03 Beige Silk Satin Caftan Dress. Hand Stitched Crystal Embroidered Belt.
04 White Silk Pants and Blouse. Hand Embroidered Details On Blouse Features Mother-Of-Pearl Buttons.
05 White Silk Pants and Blouse. Hand Embroidered Details On Blouse Features Mother-Of-Pearl Buttons.
06 White Silk Pants and Blouse. Hand Embroidered Details On Blouse Features Mother-Of-Pearl Buttons.
07 Silver Grey Bustier and Skirt in Glitter Fabric With Hand-Embroidered Bustier (Crystals and Sequins).
08 Silver Grey Bustier and Skirt in Glitter Fabric With Hand-Embroidered Bustier (Crystals and Sequins).
09 White Silk Hooded Dress With Organza Sleeves And Hand Beaded Embroidery & Metallic Gold Threads Details.
10 White Silk Hooded Dress With Organza Sleeves And Hand Beaded Embroidery & Metallic Gold Threads Details.
11 White Silk Hooded Dress With Organza Sleeves And Hand Beaded Embroidery & Metallic Gold Threads Details.
12 Gold Silk Satin Bustier Dress With French Lace Ff Calais Detail On Bodice, Hand Embroidered With Silk Threads & Green Crystals.
13 White Pure Silk Dress, Hand Embroidered With Gold Silk Threads.
14 Short Silver Grey Dress Hand Embroidered With Crystals and Beads.
15 White Duchess Satin Bridal Gown With Lace And Beaded Embroidery.
INTERVIEW
Following our amazing editorial photo shoot we had the opportunity to interview the woman behind the Jade Couture brand, designer Kaouther Berenger.
Why did you decide to choose fashion designing as a career? Fashion was an obvious choice for me – I can truly say I was born in a sewing workshop! My mother was a dressmaker who learned to cut and sew working for an Italian designer in the 1960’s. She’s a passionate woman and a perfectionist who had her tape measure around her neck and everything had to be perfect.
What sparked your interest in fashion and how did you start? Even during the orientation after the Baccalaureate studies, I did not really want to do fashion design and I refused to join in the family business. I was so eager to fly on my own and experiment with all the other the beautiful arts, but in the end I got caught up by this love for fashion that has been with me ever since! I started work during the holidays in my mother’s workshop around 1996, taking care of the buying and then became her apprentice and eventually designed some dresses. My first collection was over ten years later in 2006 when I presented a collection of beachwear at a salon in Miami Beach in Florida - handmade embroidered caftan dresses in flowing fabric with bags and accessories!
What is your first professional fashion designer memory? Well, my first sketch that lead to a dress was in 2007 for a client.
How would you describe your universe and your style? The world of Jade Couture is a chic exotic universe - a bit a melting pot of my emotions and my passion for travel especially harking back to my North African Oriental and ancient Phoenician culture but also for the South of France where I lived more than 11 years. It’s like the name says - it’s about wearing something unique – that nobody’s ever worn. These are clothes with an exotic fashion theme featuring many elements; mysterious patterns, bright vibrant colours and complex embroideries and prints that are made to stand out and be recognized.
What is your inspiration behind your design? What inspires me most is my opportunity to experience our two Western and Eastern cultures. It is my personal relationship of these two wonderful cultures at every level that give me an extremely rich heritage to draw inspiration and direction.
How do influences from outside of Tunisia find their way into your work? External influences are a kind of complementarity as I mentioned before no creator in this world can ignore the riches of European and Eastern culture which for me are the cradle for our humanity
As a bridal and evening wear designer, do you have any advice for the bride looking for the dress of her dreams? Every bride and her designer must discuss and decide! When I give advice to brides I say never follow the trend - you have to choose a dress that looks magnificent for you. The wedding day is such a very important event that the choice of the dress is quite crucial but also remembers it is necessary to be guided and advised on materials and styles to highlight you – the most important person on the day.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your clothes? Free and happy! I want my creations to bring a unique a kind of regenerating therapy of her femininity – something she will never forget.
What’s your favourite fabric to work with and why? The “DENTELLE DE CALAIS” or the Lace of Calais is special for me as it was hand woven at the time with a loom. I admire the finesse and accuracy of this technique which unfortunately is now almost lost.
How would you describe your brand Jade Couture’s aesthetics? A passionate, free universe where intellectual and physical well-being are omnipresent for all - a world of tolerance and respect for codes of ethics.
What do you consider the important facets of the fashion industry? The world of fashion is now in perpetual change from one month to the next. Digitalisation and Covid 19 has changed consumer behaviour and with that change comes both opportunities and challenges for an industry still adapting to issues of sustainability and originality that dominate the future. But we all hope there is also a balance that will lead the boat in the right direction.
What do you think about work ethics and what kind of ethics you believe in following while working with fashion? The world of fashion can convey powerful ethical messages on important topics. For me fashion is not just a dress but it’s a vision and a message to fight for a better future. I am a feminist rebel who carries an unconditional love for all and I hate that we harm woman in making them a sexual object - so those who minimise these issues are absolutely wrong. Without ethics fashion will just take an unsustainable form of popularisation of all that is beautiful in this universe.
Speak about a few of the challenges that you met and how you handled them? Each creator faces a lot of challenges but the most important thing in Tunisia is the lack of visibility of any support but today there are also accessible tools to facilitate this challenge.
What is your favourite part of being a fashion designer? It is very simple - moments in the morning, very early, in my workshop when I call laboratories to experiment with improbable materials! These are moments of pure happiness and personal well-being. But the moment that I prefer above all is seeing the sparks of happiness in the eyes of my clients and I can tell myself accomplished my mission.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work? At this moment I am in total admiration for the explosion of creativity by the Arab woman who is now proving to the world exactly what she is capable of – I meet great talented creators who can fight with a single weapon art What also makes me feel aware and which I try to feed into my work is this sudden change following the Covid19 crisis because people are rethinking their consumption mode. This has consequences for us creators and this return to the essentials is an opportunity for all designers in luxury houses to rethink with prudence and intelligence more tailored solutions.
How do you want your clients to feel when wearing your clothing? Pride in who she is and endowed with the strength to show her femininity to free!
Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? Jade Couture is not only a clothing brand an open invitation to share between two shores that have cohabited and shared so much wealth and love.
