On July 6, 2023, the Paris runways witnessed a seismic shift in fashion history. Mohammed Ashi, founder of Ashi Studio, became the first designer from the Gulf region ever invited by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) to join the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar.
On July 6, 2023, the Paris runways witnessed a seismic shift in fashion history. Mohammed Ashi, founder of Ashi Studio, became the first designer from the Gulf region ever invited by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) to join the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar.
July 6, 2023
On July 6, 2023, the Paris runways witnessed a seismic shift in fashion history. Mohammed Ashi, founder of Ashi Studio, became the first designer from the Gulf region ever invited by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) to join the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar.
His collection, titled “The Essence,” wasn’t just a debut, it was a declaration of arrival, a moment that crystallized years of quiet perseverance into one of fashion’s most groundbreaking milestones.
Born in Saudi Arabia in 1980, Ashi’s path to couture was anything but ordinary. A graduate of ÉSMOD Paris, he refined his eye under the tutelage of masters like Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy and Elie Saab before founding his namesake label in Beirut in 2007. His move to Paris in 2018 was more than geographical, it was symbolic, placing Middle Eastern craftsmanship on the global couture map.
By the time “The Essence” took the Paris stage, Ashi had already dressed Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Queen Rania of Jordan, proof that his sculptural silhouettes and architectural tailoring resonated far beyond borders. The collection itself blended desert-inspired minimalism with Parisian precision: vast volumes folded like dunes, fine embroidery glimmered like heat mirages. It was couture that spoke in the language of scent, memory, and movement, and for Ashi, a poetic culmination of everything he stood for.
Industry observers called it a turning point for Gulf fashion. The British Vogue headline read: “Ashi Studio Makes History.” Forbes Middle East named him one of the region’s top Fashion Innovators, while the FHCM praised his “unique vision that fuses Arab identity with European savoir-faire.” Even within the often-guarded walls of couture, Ashi was rewriting expectations, proving that elegance and innovation know no geography.
On July 6 , 2023, the House of Ashi didn’t just join the ranks of haute couture, it redefined who could belong there. In the legacy of the Paris salons, among names whispered with reverence, Mohammed Ashi carved a new one, his own.
