Time To Shine: Marina Rinaldi and Dima Ayad’s Empowering Collaboration Redefines Fashion for All Body Types

Dubai-based Lebanese designer Dima Ayad teams up with Marina Rinaldi on a capsule collection crafted to celebrate curves

The Italian fashion house Marina Rinaldi has emerged as a trailblazing brand in the area of size inclusivity. It has established a reputation for being a sartorial haven for plus-size women by crafting ready-to-wear outfits that are tailored with their unique needs in mind. As a part of the Max Mara fashion giant, the company has further expanded on its fundamental message of full range sizing by also tapping into the upper echelons of the fashion world. Over the past few years, it has been collaborating with a cross-section of leading fashion designers, including Roksanda, Marco De Vincenzo, Mary Katrantzou, Sara Battaglia and Fausto Puglisi, to create capsule collections that bring a strong, design-driven vision to the fashionsavvy plus-size consumer.

Now Marina Rinaldi has partnered up with the Dubai-based Lebanese designer Dima Ayad for a dazzling new collection inspired by a cocktail celebration for curvy women. It also marks the first time a designer from the region has been tapped by the house to participate in its designer capsule collection initiative.

As a long-time patron of Marina Rinaldi, Dima Ayad’s collaboration with the Italian company is the realisation of a long-cherished dream. “Marina Rinaldi’s general manager in London read a piece in Harper’s Bazaar Arabia last September, liked my designs and really felt that the Dima Ayad aesthetic understood women of all shapes and sizes. They reached out and before I knew it, a meeting took place in London. The rest is history,” says Dima.

With Dima Ayad’s timeless Arabic styles and Marina Rinaldi’s expertise in Italian tailoring, the collection is a nuanced blend between the East and the West, resulting in a fusion of cultural heritage and fashion craftsmanship. But, that does not mean that the design process was linear. “It was an absolute joyride. I understood what it meant to expand my business. We’re pretty small compared to Marina Rinaldi’s headquarters, which sits with the entire Max Mara Group. I usually design fabric first and then my ideas come crashing down. Marina Rinaldi works differently. They get inspired and then the fabrics come,” explains Dima about the process.

With a dedicated team and all the Marina Rinaldi tools at her disposal, Dima was ready to go to work. A large-scale production with endless possibilities allowed her to come up with a collection of striking designs that have a celebratory and festive slant. “They have access to anything and everything your heart desires. I was like a kid in a candy shop,” confesses the designer. “Any fabric I wanted suddenly appeared. I felt like I was rubbing a magic lamp. Also, the team is great – telling me what works and what doesn’t, showing me the ropes of their processes. We joined forces to create something we feel is quite beautiful.”

This is precisely what the collection represents: a beautiful redefinition of elegance and power. With skillfully constructed blazers and bold, flowy dresses, Dima has designed silhouettes that lovingly embrace and complement curvy bodies, ensuring that the ensembles fit the individual, not the other way around. An eccentric mix of embellishments on boldly coloured fabrics is also a reminder to the world that plus-size bodies are meant to be celebrated, not hidden. “Fashion is for everyone and anyone. I used shimmery fabrics, daring blazers, feathers, you name it. Everything is so extra,” says Dima with a smile.

In a world where one ideal size is meant to fit all, Marina Rinaldi and Dima Ayad are redefining the fashion codes to create a mould all on their own. It is a creative partnership that not only celebrates curvy women but signifies a broader shift towards acceptance and empowerment. The alliance serves as a reminder that fashion, when truly inclusive, can be a powerful source of change.

Photography: Fouad Tadros. Styling: Nour Bou Ezz. Model: Linnea Jonasson at Le Management. Hair: Ania Poniatowska. Make-up: Jean Kairouz. Special thanks to Home Figures.

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s November 2023 issue.