The Lebanese designer opens up about the evolving identity of Maison Rami Kadi, the role of technology and AI in couture, the importance of Lebanese craftsmanship, and his creative journey beyond fashion.
“Maison Rami Kadi has always felt to me like a meeting point between different worlds: craftsmanship and innovation, heritage and modernity.” It is precisely within this space that Lebanese designer Rami Kadi has built his world. In an exclusive interview with Annahar, Kadi opens up this world, sharing its details and ideas, from couture and craftsmanship to technology and art.
For Kadi, the maison’s identity is neither a completed project nor a rigid formula. It “continues to evolve,” while its foundations remain unchanged: “intricate embroidery, exceptional craftsmanship, experimentation with materials and textures, and the constant desire to bring something new to couture.”
With each collection, he preserves the identity he has built while seeking a fresh perspective, “whether through a technique, an unexpected material, technology, or a different interpretation of traditional couture.”
In this world, technology does not come to replace craftsmanship: “Technology does not replace craftsmanship; it opens up new possibilities for it.” Everything begins in the atelier, with the savoir-faire and the hands behind couture, before technology comes in to complement these skills and open up new possibilities. What matters most to him is that it serves a clear purpose: “It should enhance the work of our artisans rather than replace them.”
As artificial intelligence and digital design make their way more forcefully into the world of fashion, this space continues to expand. Kadi sees them as “an extension of the creative process,” allowing ideas to be tested and shapes, textures, and combinations explored, while visualizing possibilities before turning them into real pieces. Yet couture—no matter how much the tools evolve—remains connected to what a machine cannot create on its own: “Haute couture will always remain deeply connected to the human hand.” Its value comes from the time, skill, creativity, and people behind every piece.
And it is here, specifically, that Lebanese craftsmanship comes strongly to the fore: “They are at the heart of everything I do,” Kadi says of Lebanese artisans and the “small hands.” Behind every piece are long hours of work and years of knowledge and experience, while Lebanon’s heritage of embroidery and couture craftsmanship represents an essential part of his identity. Preserving and celebrating these skills is important to him because “the human hand is what gives every creation its character and uniqueness.”
Rami Kadi’s world, however, is no longer confined to clothing. With Rami Kadi Arts, his curiosity moves into another space: “The project came from my desire to create beyond the boundaries of fashion.” Art gives him the freedom to explore objects, materials, and collaborations from a different perspective. In couture, he thinks about the body, the movement of the piece, how it is constructed, and how it is worn. In art, “these boundaries disappear,” leaving materials, shapes, textures, and emotions as an open space for experimentation.
Yet Kadi does not separate the two worlds: “Art and couture are deeply interconnected. They come from the same creative language and share a focus on detail, craftsmanship, experimentation, and innovation. They are simply different expressions of the same creative world.”
This same curiosity drives him toward unconventional materials: “I don’t want to limit couture to what is traditionally expected of it.” What matters to him is discovering a different way to use a material, then transforming it through embroidery, construction, and craftsmanship into something refined and new.
As for sustainability, he does not see it as a constraint on luxury. Couture, in his view, is inherently linked to longevity, with pieces that take “hundreds of hours” to create and are made to be appreciated and preserved, rather than disappear at the end of a season. Sustainability also begins with “reusing existing resources whenever possible and focusing on quality rather than quantity.”
Looking ahead, Kadi embraces the equation in its entirety: “I believe it will be a combination of craftsmanship, technology, and sustainability,” while keeping “creativity, emotion, and the human hand” at the heart of couture. At the same time, he will continue exploring new materials, digital tools, collaborations, and experiences that can extend beyond clothing.
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