Mai-Gidah – the Amsterdam-based brand by Ali Abdul-Rahim.

After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, Ali launched the brand. Building on the innovation and savoir-faire for which Belgian fashion education is famed, he has developed a distinctive multilayered signature style over successive collections. With its dramatic cuts, playful textures, and harmonious colours, Mai-Gidah reveals its identity anew with each collection.

By continuously experimenting, drawing on a rich seam of experiences and emotion, Ali has further refined the knowledge and techniques he honed during his studies. The memories he carries with him remain a huge source of inspiration: from Ali’s youth in Accra, Ghana, where his sister owned a small sewing-atelier, to his studies in Belgium, and his work in a theatrical costume studio – these reminiscences are reflected within the brand. 

At the heart of Mai-Gidah is resourcefulness: choosing wisely and making the most effective use of resources helps lighten our footprint upon the planet. One aspect of this approach is reflected in our use of deadstock cloth from European fashion houses. Sourcing these fabrics before we start work on the collection contributes to the unique nature of our designs – we value every fibre from which our collections are spun. 

The brand offers a modern wardrobe characterised by refinement and informed by personal experience. Each collection reflects a step in Ali’s creative path and expresses an equilibrium between contemporaneity and classic design.

Deceptively simple as some Mai-Gidah silhouettes might appear, closer inspection reveals hidden complexities, the intricately cut garments employ ingenious, technical patterns each one developed individually.

Recurring themes within the collections are bold cuts juxtaposed against unconventional fabrics and elegant details that provide memorable refinements. These elements are at the core of Mai-Gidah, a label dedicated to innovation and the evocation of emotion through meticulous craftsmanship and to a contemporary, experimental approach rooted in memories of the past.