MAI

GIDAH

A CONVERSATION WITH ALI ABDUL RAHIM

Q. Who are you and what is your profession?

My name is Ali Abdul-rahim, I run and own my menswear label called Mai-Gidah.

Q. How’s quarantine been for you. What are some ways you’ve been staying sane and creative.

It’s not been too bad. I always enjoy being at home so I have been able to get on with the next collection and finishing orders early. I have missed going to galleries and stuff but that is slowly coming back too, so really I can’t complain. I was supposed to move into a new studio end of March but it was put on hold when the lockdown happened. It would have been nice to work from a different space but I am lucky enough to have enough space at home to work for me.

Q. Talk to us about your background.

I am Ghanaian and studied in Belgium. I have lived in London and currently live in Amsterdam.

Q. Where does the name Mai - Gidah originate from?

It’s what we called my grandfather, he was the head of the family and it literally means “Landlord” in Hausa. In my culture you get an official and unofficial name. It’s used by the community as a sign of respect.

Q. Growing up in Ghana what was that like for you?

Looking back it was great, I come from a close knit family, and the whole neighbourhood knows eachother. It has pro’s and con’s. I never really enjoyed school but we had to study. I grew up in Accra which is the capital of Ghana. It’s right on the coast so there is a beach too.

Q. As a student at the Academy of Fine arts, did you already had the idea of starting your own menswear label?

To be honest it was always in the back of my mind. I didn’t feel like there where many other options for a black designer. I started the label cause it’s an opportunity for me to do what I enjoy most and that is creating.

Q. You mentioned that you didn’t had many other options as a black designer, how come?

As a black person you don't get taken as serious if you work as a designer or an artist or whatever. If it doesn't match with the preconceptions of what black people are mostly seen to do in white people's eyes - you will struggle to get the same recognition. You'll have to work two or three times as hard. I was the only black person in the whole course. But it's hard anyway for fashion-graduates to get noticed. So in that context it didn't seem likely I would get a nice job at a brand as a designer. So the idea of starting my own brand did not seem impossible but more likely. The climate has changed since then I feel, luckily, and there is still some way to go.

Q. You worked at a theatre costume atelier, how was that for you and what did you learn from your experience there?

It was a great time I spent there, I learnt all the tricks of stage-costumes and a lot of techniques that are used are the same as haute couture techniques. So I picked those too.

Q. Do you have a favourite collection?

It’s hard to choose as I probably don’t have a subjective view on my own work. But I think Mother’s braids is my favourite collection. The colour-combinations and textures of fabrics, together with the inspirations behind the pieces make it one of my most personal ones.

Q. What’s the story behind your new collection?

For the Autumn / Winter ‘20 Unseen collection is questioning anonymity and recognition. It’s about what value unrecognised work has. Is someones work only valuable if the general public think so or know about it? And in these times of oversharing images and impressions - is there more value in keeping things close and being super selective in the output?

Q. Regarding to your source of inspiration to your new collection, how do you translate that story towards you garments?

I don’t want the inspirations to be visible immediately, I’d prefer the effect to be more subtle. At the end of the day I’m making clothes, and people need to wear them. Using shapes and soft references with colour and textures is how I try to weave the inspiration into the collection. In this collection I used masks and hats. I hid the tips of a collar into a pocket. And I hid a belt-fastening in jumpers and coats. None of that screams unseen or anonymity but it’s there if you think about it. .

Q. Is there anything you would have done differently, given the knowledge and experience you have now?

I think I would have started off even more individualistic. In the beginning of the journey people like to share their advice with you, and although it’s kind, it doesn’t always apply and everyones journey is different.

Q. What's the first place you'd want to go when it's safe again to travel?

I’d like to go back to Ghana to check on my family.

Q. What is your favourite song at the moment?

It’s Fatoumata Diawara with Nterini.

Q. The book your are holding from Rene Magritte, what is it you like about his work or in what way does his work speaks to you?

I've always liked Magritte since discovering his work. I like the surreal themes and representations, his colour-use etc. And the book I was holding explains how he used photography to experiment with different perspectives, and what our eyes/mind want us to see. It's really interesting cause you can almost see how he created some of his great works.

Q. What are your longterm goals?

I want Mai Gidah to continue growing so I can keep creating. I want to expand the brand and find better and more effective ways of working. I would love to add more (AI) Artificial Intelligence features to the garments.

Q. Best piece of advice given?

I suppose to see things through to the end once you’ve started.