As the winner of a prestigious UK style award, student designer Nabil Al Nayal's got the fashion world at his feet.
It's been a whirlwind month for Manchester School of Art graduate Nabil Al Nayal. The 22-year-old student has won back-to-back awards from some of the biggest names in the industry this summer. So how does he feel about being chosen as the UK's student Womenswear Designer of the year? "It's really nice."
Don't underestimate Al Nayal's excitement. That's just the understated Yorkshireman in him. Born to a British mother and Syrian father, he lived in Syria until the age of 14, when his mother — his original and ongoing inspiration, Al Nayal says — took him to the UK in order to give him the best chance for fashion success.
"It was quite a scary move, but my mum did it because she knew for me to be successful and get my name up in lights, she had to move to England," he says.
"I don't think I would be who I am now without living in Syria. My mother's also a big inspiration to me. She's British but the way she transformed herself when she moved to Syria... it was amazing. She always backs me up, the first one I was inspired by, even when she had bright orange hair.
"Everything does affect me, and my past and my history are a big influence. Hopefully now I'll make my name in Syria too."
Winning look
Al Nayal's early talent — he started knitting aged 2 and a memorable piece is a dress he made for his mother out of net curtains, aged 6 — must have been convincing.
Luckily, he hasn't let his family down. As a graduating student of Manchester School of Art's fashion degree, he was invited, along with 20 other students from the school, to show his final collection at London's Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) last month.
At the annual fashion event, students from over 40 UK universities present their work on the catwalk, watched by fashion insiders and their peers.
Of those collections, only a handful are selected to show at the closing gala, where after a catwalk show, awards are handed out for best womenswear, menswear and textile design. Al Nayal's Elizabethan-inspired black-and-white collection won for best womenswear. This year's judges included former winner Julien MacDonald and model Claudia Schiffer.
I, and Claudia
"I was given the award by Claudia. I was so numb. At first I couldn't believe it — when they announced my name I just stayed in my seat and my mate had to push me out of it," Al Nayal says.
"I just staggered across the audience and sort of kissed Claudia — which was really surreal to begin with."
Al Nayal already had a degree of familiarity with Schiffer, so that kiss wasn't entirely unwarranted. He credits her with redesigning his catwalk show following an interview with the jury.
"I only found out the night before that I was going to be interviewed by the judges. I never slept that night," he recalls. He still sounds amazed he ever made it through. "It's a massive room and you have to walk for ages. Claudia was in the middle and Julien to her right. They've got a highness about them, but they're really friendly and supportive and they really liked my work. Claudia said she wanted me to win."
After questions about his plans for the future and the inspiration behind his collection — "the Black Death" — the judges scheduled another meeting.
"Claudia wasn't happy about the order my collection went out in. She talked about the models she wanted to use — she wanted them to look quite deathly and gaunt. Julian supported her — he went down to hair and make-up. My collection changed a little bit from the original one, which gave it a huge impact and lead to it being photographed so much the next day."
Excuse me... the Black Death as fashion inspiration?
"I've always conceptualised," he says. "I write stories, and from that I gain inspiration. I was looking at the Elizabethan era, and at that time when they had the plague. That took me towards roadkill and the death of animals and from the death of animals my collection became black."
Still following? Good. "[When the animals die] they are cleansed of sin, so my collection became white. And really, that's how it became a black-and-white Elizabethan collection."
Despite its unusual origins, Al Nayal's collection is brilliantly original and perfectly executed and made. And although his first inspiration was historical, the ruffled shirts and pleated skirts are bang up to date.
Schiffer couldn't get enough of it: "I thought this was a wonderfully dramatic collection with a well thought-out theme," she said after the gala.
Burberry loves him!
Schiffer and MacDonald aren't the only ones interested in Al Nayal's work. Following on from GFW, he received a scholarship from the British Fashion Council (BFC), which will pay for his masters degree at London's Royal College of Art this autumn. (MacDonald is an alumnus and recommended the school to Al Nayal.) In the room at the BFC interview? Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey, who called Al Nayal later to offer him a summer internship at the design house.
Unsurprisingly, that's exactly what Al Nayal was hoping for.
"I'd like to go to a big design house and work there for a few years to get some experience and learn a bit more about [the trade]. And then get out my own label. That's an ambition for five to ten years from now."
Al Nayal also receives two years of mentoring from the team at River Island, the sponsors of GFW, and over Dh7,000 in prize money.
And, as if to solidify his status as the next big thing, Al Nayal's work will be sold alongside items donated by Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld at a charity auction during London Fashion Week in September.
"Half the money will go to charity and half will come to me, which will help me to do my masters at Royal College. It's really good."
Until then, however, Al Nayal's taking it all in from his home in Sheffield, where his winning designs were showcased in the local River Island. Winners' collections are usually shown in the London flagship store, but Al Nayal requested they be sent up north instead.
"I thought I'd bring it home for a change. A lot of people wanted to buy but it was just an exhibition," he adds. "If I'd known, I could have made lots and sold them. It was so nice to have that interest from people in my home town."
Like his clothes, which seamlessly blend Elizabethan, Victorian and contemporary looks, Al Nayal isn't stuck in one time zone. One minute he's remembering his mother's conservative dress in Syria, the next he's gabbing about his next illustrated story, his Yorkshire-accented speech barely able to keep up with the ideas he wants to express. He's not caught between the two worlds he calls home — he's taking the best of both.
"I don't think there are limitations on where you live and work. I'd like to be known as one of those Middle Eastern designers who have succeeded."
History class
"I've got a very strong look. [My design] has a historical context. It's contemporary formal wear, but it always looks quite old, if I can put it that way. I'm not afraid of using colour, it's just that my graduate collection felt right just using black and white. "I've used purples before oranges and pinks. I've also used print before — because I illustrate my story books."
What about the trademark ribbon he often wears around his neck?
"It's a menswear version of womenswear, and it's part of the historical context. I love Victorian, Elizabethan even Tudor [fashion]. I can't just pick one era because it's so interesting and exciting. There's lots to explore."
Heart and Design
Christie's will auction off fashion and design items, including Nabil Al Nayal's graduate collection on September 15 in a charity sale to raise funds for London's Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust.
These items will either be customised, specially made, or prototypes from the worlds leading fashion and product designers, including Marc Jacobs and Lanvin's Alber Elbaz.
Auction pieces will be exhibited for the public at Christie´s two days before the sale, showcasing young design talent.
Click on www.heartanddesign.org for more information.
How to make a winning collection on a student budget
All of Nabil Al Nayal's collection had to be self-funded, from the fabric to the accessories. How did he cope?
"I spent about £2,500 (Dh18,200) and I'm only a student so I got loads of loans and used my credit cards.
"I spent a fortune on shoes because the show had to have a high finish. I went to Kurt Geiger and ended up spending about £800 (Dh6,000) on shoes in total. But you know what I did? I put masking tape underneath them all so I could take them back. Luckily i got away with it! But otherwise i wouldn't have been able to afford to do it. You have to find any way possible to do it."
