Inside Sukeina With Omar Salam
It was about how the light penetrated through the large floor to ceiling windows in the grand suite of the Park Lane hotel. It was about how the light hitting the elaborate gilded mirrors that lined the walls of the suite, and how the light reflected on the glistening chandeliers. This was the glow that set the scene for the uber elegant installation of SUKEINA spring/summer 2022 fashion collection. But the rays of lumination were no match for the Sukeina line designed and created by OMAR SALAM, who explained that Sukeina is the name of his birth mother which means “bright light.”
THE SECRET IS OUT
Omar expressed pride in his new collection, he officially launched his first line of clothing in 2012 with a stellar show staged in the marble lobby of the Four Seasons hotel in mid-Manhattan. Over the years, his trajectory has been like a hot secret among industry insiders, as the “it” factor was quite obvious. Now, Omar Salam is about to take his rightful place among the upper echelons of international fashion. The secret is finally out as this designer has proved that his talent has all the ingredients of what legends are made of.
FASHION GLITTERATTI SPREADING THE WORD
Judging from the fashion luminaries who graced that grand suite, overlooking New York’s Central Park at the beginning of New York Fashion Week, the word is out, and Omar, a newly minted member of the CFDA is up for the challenge. Several Vogue editors including Virgina Smith, Chioma Nnandi and Nicole Phelps were present. Linda Fargo and her team from Bergdorfs attended. CFDAs Steve Kolb, Ashoke Abalu, Bethann Hardison, jazz great Ron Carter and his fashionable wife Quintel Carter were among the dozens of glitteratti spreading the word. Omar, the gracious host that he is, personally walked each of his guests through the collection. Reviews came fast and favorable, so much so that Anna Wintour hand picked one of Omar’s dresses to be worn by Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee, one of her special guests at the MET Gala.
A CLASH OF COLOR & FABRIC
“My inspiration for the collection came from the Bantu tribe who live on the outskirts of Africa,” Omar revealed from his 33rd floor atelier, high atop the Barclay Center. “They have very little. What I thought was interesting is that they don’t have a signature cloth. What they do is piece together bits and pieces of material and items that may have been discarded and put them all together to make the most beautiful fashion.” Omar mixed different types of lace, net, chiffon, jersey knit, feathers, fringe, velvet strips, buttons and crystal jewels for his eclectic creations. He showed severe pencil trousers in sheer fabric, sharp black “onesuits” and delicate jersey pieces all in a burst of vivid color. Drop waist dresses festooned with flirty pleats, feather embellishments and a red, navy, yellow and black cocktail dress with a sheer back were among his many showstoppers.
HUE
Omar continued: “I named the collection ‘HUE’ which stems from a place of different colors. A painter uses color hues, which I see as short for humanity. So, humanity should be a mix of different colors. Being able to include all hues, the humanity of all people, it was very natural to build a story around the people in my life. Fabric is made of people of all races, color, ages – there is no discrimination. It’s about not excluding anyone for what they are not.” Omar continued; “For me, it’s not about where you come from, it comes down to who the essence of the person is. I relate that to my collection. I am protective of each hue, because only then is the picture of humanity full. Only then, it’s complete. If one color is missing the picture can’t be complete.”
FROM WHENCE HE CAME
Omar Salam was born in Dakar, Senegal and studied screenwriting at Old Dominion University in Paris before heading to Parsons School of Design. He spent seven years working with designer Sonia Rykiel and became Visual Director for her New York store. Omar also spent two years working with another French house, designer Christian Lacroix before launching his own label Sukeina in 2012. Omar is a true storyteller. He takes pride in offering a cohesive narrative with each collection. He admitted that his future is bright as he continues to experiment with shapes, his clothes hint at multiple manifestations of self.
