Bodyamr was a

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

-based

fashion label Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

created in 2005 by

Omani Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

designer Amr Ali.

Amr Ali

Bodyamr takes its name from its founder, Amr Ali, a British-born designer of Omani descent. He began designing while working as an

interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

er for

Nicholas Haslam Nicholas Ponsonby Haslam (born 27 September 1939) is an English interior designer and socialite, and founder of the London-based interior design firm, NH Studio Ltd. Early life and education Haslam was born at Great Hundridge Manor, Amersham, ...

. Haslam pushed Ali to start his own fashion label. The name "Bodyamr" was first suggested by singer

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

and the brand was launched in 2002 when Ali was 22. According to ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...

'' at the time his showroom and design studio acted "as a meeting place for musicians, artists, and his muses who provide inspiration as he work don his new fashion and lifestyle label".

Design house

The firm's first collection featured jewel studded evening dresses worn by several key figures in the music industry including

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, and a host of supermodels. In 2005 the firm launched its first pret-a-porter collection at

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...

. One of its main themes has been the injection of Arabian cultural influences into the designs, specifically Omani oriental references. Bodyamr also worked with other design houses for its collections, including

Christian Louboutin Christian Louboutin (; born 7 January 1963) is a French fashion designer whose high-end stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started hi ...

who designed the shoes for the Bodyamr collections. Soon after the release of his collection, Ali became known as the first internationally successful British Arab fashion designer. In 2007 his third collection was inspired by the Iranian painter

Mahmoud Farshchian Mahmoud Farshchian ( fa, محمود فرشچیان, translit=Mahmud Faršciyân; born 24 January 1930) is an Iranian painter and educator. He was a master of Persian miniature painting. His paintings have been hosted by several museums and exhibi ...

, who gave permission to reproduce his work ''The Fifth Day of Creation'' within his collection. Despite these high-profile collaborations, Bodyamr was still called "one of the best kept secrets of fashion insiders" by ''

Vogue Magazine ''Vogue'' is an American monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine that covers many topics, including haute couture fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. Based at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, ''Vogue ...

'' in 2008 when they released a nine-piece limited edition capsule collection through

Harrods Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to other ...

' Designer Studio. In 2010 Bodyamr launched its new diffusion range BodyAmr Studio, a ready-to-wear line, inspired by the 1970s New York City disco scene. The name of the line was inspired by the culture and fashion of the New York nightclub

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...

, and was described by fashion publications as a new direction in lounge-wear. That year Bodyamr was featured by ''

British Vogue British ''Vogue'' is a British fashion magazine published based in London since autumn 1916. It is the British edition of the American magazine ''Vogue'' and is owned and distributed by Condé Montrose Nast. British ''Vogue'' editor in 2012 c ...

'' due to the number of celebrities choosing to wear his designs to high-profile events. In 2011 Bodyamr teamed with

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

to produce a series of artistic advertisements celebrating the car company's 100th anniversary.

External links

Homepage

References

{{reflist Clothing brands of the United Kingdom English brands Defunct companies based in London 2005 establishments in England