Interview with Rami Kadi
Rami Kadi — who recently lit up the catwalk at the 30th Year Anniversary of Athens Xclusive Designers Week — is fast-becoming a leading name in couture. The Lebanese-American fashion designer’s innovative couture and distinctive creations came to Paris in 2014, and since then he’s made a name for himself by pioneering the Middle East’s first environmentally conscious fashion cyber-show in 2020. We caught up with him backstage to learn more about the latest collection, his Cardano Blockchain NFT project, and how he used that same algorithm to design what we saw on the runway.
Rami Kadi at Athens Xclusive Designers Week
Photos: Panoulis Photography
Q: So obviously we saw a wide range of looks on the catwalk today. What was the inspiration for the season’s collection?
This season was inspired by a very “tech” technique that we have used. We were the first designers who did an NFT collection, and we used an algorithm to create both the NFT collection, and the physical collection.
We used an algorithm to create this collection
So you’re going to see lots of colors, lots of patterns, mixed together.
Q: An algorithm? How fascinating!
Yes. A new system, with the help of programmers. With the algorithm we can mix and match and experiment with new techniques and new designs.
Q: You’re something of a pioneer in the NFT and Metaverse space. Tell us all what’s happening with that.
We just launched our NFT collection, and we’re hoping to have land, plus a shop in the Metaverse. But this will come after.
Q: So where can people buy the NFT collection?
It was launched on the Cardano blockchain. So it will be on Cardano’s marketplace, called the JPG Store.
Q: Let me ask you more of a theoretical question. What do you foresee as the ultimate expression of the Metaverse in fashion? If you had any fantasy of how it would be in the future, what would it be like?
Right now people are thinking about re-creating what’s in real life. I think the Metaverse is a way of experimenting and creating things that cannot be done in the real world. Like for example, I can make a dress fly without the problem of gravity; I can have stairs in my shop that shouldn’t have support.
the Metaverse is a way of experimenting and creating things that cannot be done in the real world
This is where I would like to see things going on the Metaverse. Not to replicate the actual world.
Q: But to create things of dreams, basically?
Yes, dreams. For example, I can have this jacket with wings on that can change colors and have lights. So this is where creativity comes in.
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With love,
FWO
