Dubai Fashion Week - Evolution : The Spring Summer 2012 Collection
A collection of Striking Textile Design with Unique Fabrics










A Visual Study of Textile Design Innovation
The collection examines how textile design connects biology, culture, and movement. Shown at Dubai Fashion Week in the World Trade Centre, the collection tells a conceptual fashion story. It uses visual themes like DNA, neurons, volcanoes, and cultural symbols. These elements evolve through print, shape, and texture.
This collection draws inspiration from nature’s micro details and traditional art. It includes garments printed digitally. Artisans from Atelier in Dubai have crafted each piece with greater attention to detail. We use unique fabrics such as crinkle chiffon, habotai silk, silk satin, taffeta, and velvet. Our artisans created each textile to enhance the theme it represented. The print designs made the collection a lively mix of form and fabric.
From Biology to Culture – A Story Told Through Print
The visual language of the collection begins at the microscopic level. Neurons, DNA strands, and cell textures became vibrant prints. The colours varied from clinical greys and whites to bright blues, yellows, and reds. These themes showed up on structured jumpsuits with pleated sleeves. They also appeared on full-length kaftans with shoulder twists and wrap silhouettes. These designs reflected the organic flow of the garments on the women.
Other garments took inspiration from nature’s fierce beauty. Lava flows, volcanic smoke, and tsunami waves created swirling patterns in orange, purple, black, and blue shades. They were printed on light silks like georgette and chiffon. The shapes flared and gathered to fit women.
Cultures around the world inspire these exaggerated prints. Islamic mosaic patterns, dome architecture, and wood-carved motifs were recreated with modern aesthetics. They appeared in neon and neutral colours on kaftans, dresses, and panelled silhouettes. The standout is a 12-yard silk kaftan featuring geometric zigzag patterns inspired by the South African Ndebele house painting. The bright blue, yellow, and pink colours reflect freedom and graphic intensity. This textile design is central to the collection.

















Craftsmanship and Surface Ornamentation
Evolution SS12 was a memorable and elaborate collection for its unique prints, which blended into detailed textile designs and surface elements. The garments did not rely on print alone to tell their story. Many pieces had detailed pleating, gathered seams, draped shoulder twists, and wrap panels, which reacted to the prints’ direction and intensity.
The collection’s significant artisan work was its use of hand embroidery. Swarovski crystals, pearls, glass beads, and tribal-style accents highlighted parts of the print. They added dimension, and the light stunningly reflected off them.
Notable examples included:
- A volcanic eruption-print kaftan with tribal beadwork at the neckline.
- A neuron-printed jumpsuit featuring crystal embroidery on the shoulders.
- A dome-inspired silk kaftan with Swarovski detailing spreads out from the neckline, inspired by architecture.
These embellishments were not just decorations. They were thoughtful additions that helped expand the story and highlight key visuals. Embroidery took many forms. The embroidery designs followed the shape of a flame, traced a neural web, or mirrored the symmetry of mosaic patterns.










Styling and Runway at Dubai Fashion Week.
The collection launched with a dramatic show at Dubai Fashion Week. It started with no light, with bright focus spots shining on the Models walking on the runway. The opening act had two models walking together. The twin sisters of The Shining, a 1980 psychological horror film produced by Stanley Kubrick, were directly referenced in the models’ dramatic runway entrance. It also functioned as a visual representation, indicating displayed development and duality.
Twelve models closed the show with a fanstastic wrap-up. Each highlighting the themes of the collection, they donned patterned jumpsuits, kaftans, and thobe-style dresses. Each model wore custom silk heels that matched their outfit’s print, linking the fabric, shape, and body together.
Models wore tribal-inspired eye markings that appeared as scratchy black-and-white lines. They also wore braided hairstyles styled into top buns. This makeup and hair reflected the collection’s mix of discipline and wildness.
A Study in Textile Design and Original Fabric Language
At its core, Evolution SS12 is a study in textile design. The prints weren’t just decorations. They were visuals based on research, moving directly from concept to surface. Each print acted like a visual thesis. They drew from microscopic images, volcanic activity, and tribal symbols. Unique fabrics and precise tailoring made them wearable.
The collection had custom-printed silks, structured silhouettes, and surface embellishments. It felt both experimental and complete. It’s more than a fashion show. It shows how fabric tells a story. The narrative unfolds not just in shape or feeling, but on the textile’s surface.











































