Rym Saidi Closes Dima Ayad S/S 2025 at Dubai Fashion Week
The model-turned-presenter and Bazaar Arabia Junior cover star took to the runway in a pink floral dress to close out the first show of Day Three
Catwalk cameos have been all the rage in recent years as celebrities and friends of brands step out to try their hand at walking the runway during fashion month.
Today at Dima Ayad’s S/S 2025 showcase Bazaar Arabia Junior cover star Rym Saidi closed the show – one of the biggest highlights of Dubai Fashion Week. In a pink floral-printed dress the model sauntered down the catwalk of the first show of the day to cheers from the crowd which included regional industry insiders and VIPs.
Rym started modeling years ago, but first encountered resistance from her own mother given the reputation of the industry in her home country.
“My friends used to say things like ‘the giraffe is coming’ because I was so skinny, and that bothered me,” she says. “I soon realised I was the same height as Claudia Schiffer, so I called my aunt who is a journalist in Tunisia and I told her I wanted to become a model.”
Her mother finally relented and allowed her daughter to enter the Elite Model Look Tunisia competition. “I won, and they were super happy,” Rym told Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Junior in our Spring 2024 issue. “Suddenly it was all over the news and the media in my country, and everything took off from there.” After she finished her Bachelor’s degree, it was her mum who then encouraged her to enter the first edition of the Arabic reality show Mission Fashion on LBC TV, under the supervision of Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab, which she also went on to win.
Dima Ayad is making upbeat dressing easy with her S/S 2025 collection. The Dubai-based designer sent models down the catwalk to a playlist of feel-good tunes, unveiling waves of floral printed dresses in between sequined frocks.
“The collection was inspired by everything feminine, where I really felt that soft power was in the mix,” the designer tells Bazaar Arabia backstage. “This season I felt you could be so feminine and powerful in florals. And, of course, with what’s going on around us in the region I just wanted us to be soft and kind — and light and feminine.”
“The most important thing about these pieces it that when you look at any of them you won’t think they’re from a specific season. You can actually wear them all the time. I prefer timeless collections and always size inclusive, no matter what – we’re always going to be size inclusive as a brand.”
