Ahmad Alfazairy.
SCHOOL OF MOONFISH.
Lebanon designer, Ahmad Alfazairy showcased a collection for Vanity Fashion Week 24/25. This detailed piece, focusing on the striking metallic texture, visually resemble the reflective, shimmering quality of a school of Moonfish, also known as Mondoactylus. These fish are known for their metallic silver bodies that catch and reflect light in a way that mimics the effect of this jackets design.
The jacket is embellished with countless reflective silver pieces, arranged in a meticulous, almost wave-like formation. The metallic elements are likely small sequins, beads or metal plates that create a surface reminiscent of fish scales. The texture appears rigid yet fluid due to the arrangement of the small pieces, with each one reflecting light at different angles, creating a dynamic shimmer. The directionality of the placement emphasizes the flow and movement across the fabric, creating a sense of motion and liveliness.
In the wild, moonfish school as a defense mechanism. Their synchronized swimming techniques and reflective bodies create the illusion of a larger entity, confusing predators. The silver jacket mimics this phenomenon by using the reflective pieces to stimulate a similar visual effect - a fluid, moving surface that can change the appearance with light and movement.
In the widely adorned Disney classic, Finding Nemo, the school of moonfish plays a memorable role as the fish formed various shapes, such as arrows or faces and playfully interacted with the characters throughout the film. These moments showcase the fish’s ability to use their collective bodies to create illusions, much like the detail on Alfazairy’s 2024/25 Design. The placement of each silver piece on the jacket seems deliberate, with a sense of direction that guides the eye across the garment.
The way these pieces are arranged, and seemingly cascading, it follows the contours of the fabric to highlight the figure of the model, creating a sculptural effect similar to the fluid mobility of moonfish schooling in water. The silver pieces on the jacket also play with light in a very similar way to how moonfish reflect sunlight underwater. This gives the pieces a vibrant, almost liquid-like quality.
The design of Ahmad Alfazairy’s Vanity 2024/5 Piece draws a strong parallel to the visual, behavioral and textural characteristic of Moonfish. The metallic quality within the sections of the jacket mirror the shimmering bodies of moonfish in a school, while the careful, directional placement of these elements emulate the fluid, dynamic movement. From the textured visual appearance to the placement of these mysterious metallic pieces, it sparks even more curiosity into the designer’s mind throughout the process as well as the nature and physical make of the moonfish.
