Modern Minimalism
The elegant lines of French-Algerian designer Faiza Bouguessa’s collections draw inspiration from art, architecture, her ancestral Algeria and her adopted Gulf home.
By Rebecca Anne Proctor
As a child learning to sew, watching the careful stitches of her grandmother, a seamstress, Faiza Bouguessa could not have known that she would one day dress Beyoncé or Saudi fashion pioneer Princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz.
Her home in Romans-sur-Isère, a medieval town in the foothills of the Vercors Massif in France, was far from the studios and fashion shows of Paris. It was far, too, from Algeria, where her grandmother was born and whose heritage still inspires her today. It was farther still from Dubai, where she and her in-demand fashion label, Bouguessa, defined by its minimalist sophistication, are based.
Her grandmother taught her to knit, too, and she became enraptured with the process of garment-making. But for another decade it remained a hobby. She opted instead to study English literature, her second passion. She immersed herself in English culture and history through its literature and worked to build a command of the language. “I really wanted to live abroad,” she says. “Now, looking back, I wish I had studied art in university.”
A desire to travel landed her a job with Emirates, a six-year period she remembers with gratitude. But even before her role there ended, she had begun developing a business plan for a fashion brand. It took two years to refine the vision for it.
In 2014, she founded her eponymous ready-to-wear label—one that merges the simple lines of contemporary art, architecture, and design, with a nod to her French-Algerian heritage and adopted home. From her studio in Dubai Design District, Bouguessa designs three collections a year. The space reflects her fashion aesthetic, with minimalist, monochrome furniture in cream, beige and black coupled with a few books, artworks, and design objects.
In an era of influencers, big brands, and maximalism, Bouguessa, above, doubled down on her preference for quiet, contemporary sophistication. Minimalism, she says, is timeless. For Fall Winter 2023, serious suits reign. The Zelda Oversized Blazer and Pants, top, is among the designer’s favourites in the collection. All photos courtesy of Bouguessa.
“We worked on bringing subtle assemblages out of materials of all kinds: wool threads, upholstery fabrics, cords, fringes of natural yarn that are then woven, crocheted or stitched onto the designs,” she says. The collection offers “a secret message for art lovers.”
In an era of influencers, big brands, and maximalism, Bouguessa chose a different path. She has doubled down on her preference for quiet, contemporary sophistication. “I’ve been true to my brand aesthetic because it is the one I feel closest to,” she says. “Minimalism is the aesthetic that speaks to me, and it is easier for me to create in that realm. It is an aesthetic that is timeless, which you can wear repeatedly.”
The Bouguessa look is structured but loose enough to flow. Its Arab DNA is evident, but would mix easily with Scandinavian or Japanese pieces. Silhouettes are shaped by clean, modern lines. The limited colour palette emphasises black, white and cream, with occasional adventures into pink, yellow, or khaki. The garments are almost always in solid colours; the rare patterns resemble Jean Cocteau’s line drawings, but more abstract. Fabrics—wool, tweed, cords, fringes of yarn—are always natural, sourced in France, Italy and Turkey.
The pieces, wardrobe classics with a contemporary edge, inspire a quiet confidence in the wearer. “The minimalist aspect of our designs is also about bringing peace; I feel calmer when I’m dressed in a simple way,” she says.
While her designs remain rooted in minimalism, she is open to trends and influences. “I embrace trends here and there in the collections that we create, but you’ll always have a toned-down version of something that’s either bright or a bit more elaborate in terms of design.”
Her Ramadan 2016 collection presented a contemporary take on the traditional abaya, drawing inspiration from modern buildings and sculpture with mirrored surfaces that her designs rendered with cuts and metallic notes. She especially drew inspiration from works by American architect Eleanor Raymond; German artist Ekkehard Altenburger, known for his temporary installation House of Mirrors; and British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor, especially his monumental Cloud Gate work in Chicago.
The abayas remain a bestseller. She transformed the modest black staple into an elegant tweed dress with a belt and added embellishments, including pleats. They are at once timeless and contemporary, prized for their attention to detail.
For FW23, signature architectural lines are balanced by natural materials in earthy, muted tones and elegant but humble cuts. In these images above, the men’s Jad Faux Fur Coat and women’s Maya Oversized Shirt, Irina Faux Leather Skirt and Ounassa Handbag.
She incorporates notes from her Algerian heritage, too. Her 2015 Ramadan collection was based on the haik, a traditional garment in the Maghreb, worn by Algerian women to show their resistance to French occupation. It is still worn by older Algerian women today. “It symbolised a connection with my heritage and my family,” she says. “My mother told me stories of the women she knew, including my grandmother, who all had a haik in the wardrobe. It is so beautiful and so pure. It brought me inspiration to create some pieces for that collection. In the future I will explore my heritage again.”
Bouguessa’s Fall Winter 2023 collection, unveiled in August, offers sharp tailoring, wool coats and smart leather accessories. The collection foregrounds classic, dark, studied luxury with hints of old Hollywood. Serious suits reign, and even the more casual looks are elegant. Signature architectural lines are balanced by natural materials in earthy, muted tones and elegant but humble cuts. A deconstructed unisex puffer coat in white with black trim stands out, its angular panels set on the diagonal, reminiscent of Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The collection explores the early 1990s, reinterpreting volumes and sharp lines though craftsmanship and details. Inspiration again came from art—including the suspended cord sculptures by German artist Alexandra Bircken—modern furniture, and the craftsmanship found in traditional African art.
“We worked on bringing subtle assemblages out of materials of all kinds: wool threads, upholstery fabrics, cords, fringes of natural yarn that are then woven, crocheted or stitched onto the designs,” she says. The collection offers “a secret message for art lovers.”
She declines to pick favourite pieces but, when pressed, says the Zelda oversized blazer and pants is something she will be wearing a lot, and the same shape in full grey, the Mani. She adds, too, the Alba oversized double shirt and the Aya double layered pants.
The FW23 collection also sees the introduction of a signature denim range—three unisex shapes, made in Italy from classic jeans colours to camel and black. In the future, she aims to expand the brand into eyewear and children’s clothing.
