Layal AlRaee
Fashion Design BA Hons
Regent's University London
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Menswear / Womenswear / Apparel
My location: London, United Kingdom
Layal AlRaee
First Name: Layal
Last Name: AlRaee
University / College: Regent's University London
Course / Program: Fashion Design BA Hons
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Menswear / Womenswear / Apparel
My Location: London, United Kingdom
Website: Click To See Website
About
Layal, a 20-year-old designer from Bahrain, grew up immersed in fashion through her family’s fashion house, “Al Methaleya.” Inspired by her mother’s work and shaped by IB Art studies, she developed a strong visual voice early on. Naturally creative and hands-on, she also explored event planning and marketing, which helped hone her leadership and branding skills.Influenced by designers like Rick Owens and Issey Miyake, Layal’s work is defined by a bold, conceptual aesthetic, using volume, distortion, and construction to shape and transform the body. In 2020, she co-founded “Social Diary” with her sister, a label focused on chic, comfortable designs for an outgoing lifestyle. One of her proudest moments was curating a fashion pop-up in collaboration with a local coffee shop.As she graduates in fashion design from Regent’s University London, Layal is focused on refining her creative direction and expanding her presence within the industry. Her practice continues to evolve through material exploration, structured silhouettes, and a balance between concept and wearability. Alongside growing “Social Diary,” she aims to take on a leading role within her family’s fashion house, Al Methaleya, carrying its legacy forward while shaping it through a contemporary, global perspective.
My design deconstructs the classic suit to challenge binary oppositions such as inside/outside and strength/vulnerability. Drawing from Jacques Derrida's theory, I revealed what is usually hidden-exposed seams, frayed edges, visible shoulder pads-subverting the suit's traditional role as a symbol of control and professionalism. Rather than repairing or refining the garment, l embraced fragmentation. Features like a hanging sleeve, collapsing waistband, and intentional gaps make absence and instability central to the design. This reflects Derrida's idea that meaning emerges not only through presence but also through what is disrupted or missing. The suit becomes a space for questioning identity, gender norms, and structural expectations. By reversing the logic of traditional tailoring, I challenged the binaries embedded in fashion. My piece isn't just a broken suit-it's a critique of systems we take for granted, showing how deconstruction can reveal new forms of expression through the exposure of what's normally concealed.