Rakan Shams Aldeen: Project Runway designer never wavered on his vision
Rakan Shams Aldeen made quite an impression during his time on Project Runway. Even in his limited appearance, the talented designer stayed true to his vision.
Project Runway can be a platform for many designers. For Rakan Shams Aldeen, the Syrian born designer, this opportunity was a dream come true. As the Chicago based fashion designer looks to build his own brand, this chance had to be taken. Now that his time on the design competition is over, Rakan chatted with me about his experience, his views on fashion and what is on the horizon for him.
Rakan Shams Aldeen describes himself as “is a conceptual designer who is inspired by everything around him, especially architecture and history.” As seen from his background in architecture and design, those influences are apparent, especially with his signature look from season 17’s first episode.
Looking at this Project Runway season, the designers are very diverse and accomplished. Now in its 17th season, the show’s contestants have been avid fans and understand the impact that Project Runway can have on a career.
Having asked Rakan why he wanted to compete in this season, he said, “Project Runway is a dream for every designer. It is a great platform to showcase not only your talent but also your personality and who you are as a creative person. I grew up watching the show and I remember that I was always trying at home to design for the challenges like I was one of the designers on the show!”
PROJECT RUNWAY — Episode 1706 — Pictured: Rakan Aldeen — (Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo)
Even though his dream was fulfilled, Rakan seemed to have both ups and downs on the show. Even in the face of criticism by Christian Siriano and the judges, Rakan never wavered on his vision or convictions. If he loved a fabric, design choice or style, no one was going to influence his decision.
Rakan said, “I’ve never changed my design during the challenges, even if we are using the same color or even the same fabrics; every designer has his own vision, aesthetic and style.”
Sometimes it seemed that his style was not the aesthetic that the judges were drawn to. Occasionally, the judges commented that Rakan might have missed the mark or his look felt rushed. The pressure given the time frame and conditions is not typical for any designer.
One restraint that can sometimes prove difficult for the designers is the fabric budget. When a designer, like Rakan, is accustomed to working with certain fabrics, the change can affect the finished project. Just like the time constraints, themes and conditions, budgeting is part of the challenge.
As the season progressed, Rakan learned to handle the budget better. He said, “I have to say that this season they gave us a decent amount of money to shop, but I had some problems staying in the budget, especially in the first challenge. Normally I work with high end fabrics and materials, which would have been over budget for the competition. After that first challenge, I started to budget my shopping better; and I even had extra money for some of the challenges!”
Rakan was eliminated in episode 6, which focused on a powerful female video game character. While he took a risk with fabric, the judges were somewhat confused with his vision for his particular woman.
Specifically, I asked if he envisions a particular woman wearing a design as he is creating it. He said, “Always. I do a lot of custom made designs so having a woman as an inspiration makes me feel the design better and that leads to having a better result. I envision strong women, they really inspire me!”
One aspect of fashion is inspiring confidence. A great outfit, signature style or accessory can convey that feeling of strength. Even fashion designers have a particular item to wear when they want to feel confident.
According to Rakan, his item seems to make a bold statement. He said, “I always hunt for different shoes! I like to have different colors and styles of sneakers and that makes me feel confident and unique since I’m usually fully dressed in black.”
While I didn’t notice his shoes on this season of Project Runway, I will have to go back through the first couple of episode and see those fashion accessories. Just like in life, those little touches mean a lot to the person wearing them. It doesn’t necessarily matter how apparent they are to others.
Now that his time on Project Runway has come to a close, the Chicago based fashion designer has numerous projects on the horizon. Recently, he released his SS19 collection and a new capsule collection will be coming soon. As stated on his website, the SS19 collection is about “playing with lines and surfaces, bending them to create shadows and layers.”
Looking at these designs, there are design elements that viewers of this Project Runway season will instantly recognize. Still, these designs seem to have a slightly more ethereal quality from the layering and colors. The contrast to the geometric shapes makes each look dramatic without losing that subtlety.
Rakan isn’t stopping with this current collection. Additionally, he said that he has “a couple of exciting shows coming up in May and already started working on the inspiration for my next collection. I’m very excited to what’s next!”
As Rakan Shams Aldeen fulfilled his dream of being on Project Runway, I wish him great success on his journey and in his business. For more information on his collections, please visit his website, Rakan.
What did you think of Rakan’s looks on this season of Project Runway? Did he leave the competition too early?