Baghdad designer calls for fashion rooted in heritage at Al-Mada cultural forum

BAGHDAD — Al-Mada Foundation for Culture and Arts hosted a discussion Friday morning in partnership with the Goethe Institute, featuring Iraqi fashion designer Sinaan Kamel, founder of Baghdad Fashion Week and head of the Baghdad Organization for Arts and Culture.

The event drew a diverse audience of artists, designers and cultural enthusiasts and centered on Kamel’s project to redefine contemporary Iraqi identity through fashion. The initiative presents clothing as a visual cultural medium that reflects both Iraq’s past and its evolving present.

“Fashion is a living form of cultural expression,” Kamel said. “The idea is to maintain what we inherited before we develop it.”

He emphasized the importance of establishing a national fashion identity as a source of pride and a tool for preserving heritage. Kamel also argued that cultural identity — including how Iraqis dress — plays a role in political and electoral dynamics.

Fawaz Salah, one of the participants, discussed shifting perceptions of fashion among Iraqi youth. He said that since 2003, the internet and social media have introduced a new cultural framework, breaking with earlier generational norms.

“There’s been a break since 2003. The internet introduced a new culture,” Salah said. He added that much of Iraq’s current fashion still leans heavily on 1970s-era design. “Innovation comes when young ideas are blended with past experiences,” he said.

Kamel highlighted the work of Iraqi designers incorporating traditional motifs into modern clothing, saying such efforts help ease cultural tensions by celebrating shared heritage.

Baghdad Fashion Week, founded in 2015, has held four editions, including a digital season.

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