Still Yearning for a Pippa Middleton-style wedding dress without the McQueen price tag?

June 2011

Bridal Path, in pretty and historic Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, stockists of some of Britain’s finest bridal designers (including Jenny Packham and Amanda Wakeley), has just taken delivery of Motasem Bridal’s two year bestseller, the Alaya dress with cap sleeves and puddle train – a highly flattering, cowl neck bias-cut dress in a fabulous soft crepe silk with lots of weight to it, enough to make any bride feel like a princess on her special day. And priced at £925, it’s very reasonable too (£695 without cap sleeves and train).

Jo Learmonth, owner of Bridal Path says, “The Alaya is the perfect dress for brides wanting something simple, classic and fantastic quality for the price. As we specialise in unstructured gowns it sits beautifully in our collection and our brides are always looking for something a little different and inspirational”. Pictured above in Bridal Path’s window teamed with a pair of Rachel Simpson’s ‘Marilyn’ suede and satin bow shoes.

The Alaya dress was designed by Sabina Ali from London-based label, Motasem Bridal and is available with a plunging backless cowl version. Motasem provides understated, vintage inspired wedding dresses to brides looking for simple and elegant wedding dresses.

Bridal Path, was established in 2006 to steer away from mass-produced styles and aim to create unique looks from modern and traditional gowns plus a complementary selection of headpieces, veils, shrugs and jewellery. Based in a traditional granary building in the heart of Sawbridgeworth, the ground floor showroom is a calm, airy, well-lit space with a first floor private fitting room. Bridal Path, The Granary, 39 Bell Street, Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM21 9AR. T 01279 722273

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Motasem Bridal and the royal dress that every bride wants

April 2011

While other designers scrabbled for their sketch pads to recreate Pippa Middleton’s sleek and sophisticated bridesmaid dress (the consensus being that for us commoners it would make a rather stylish wedding gown), Sabina Ali from London-based label, Motasem found she had something very similar already in her collection – the Alaya dress.

Pippa Middleton looked so radiant in her slinky cowl neck maid of honour dress, that she almost overshadowed the royal bride. The Alaya dress, designed by Sabina Ali, is a highly flattering bias-cut cowl neck dress made in crepe silk, and has been a bestseller at Motasem Bridal for the last two years.

Perfect as it is, the Alaya dress is also available with bespoke detailing such as cap sleeves and puddle train, enough to make any bride feel like a princess on her special day. Priced from £695, it’s the perfect choice for brides on a budget looking for a classy, understated wedding dress. The Alaya dress is available to order from a sample collection at the London studio and delivered within 5 weeks. The dress also available at bridal-path.com, Sawbridgeworth.

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Fashion Exhibit at the British Library: Luxury Label Motasem provides inspiration with Nightingale and Lotus dress display (01 June – 03 July 2009)

01 June 2009

Experienced fashion and graphic designer, Director of luxury label Motasem, Sabina Ali, found independent success in 2007 with a commission to design a cocktail style wedding dress versatile enough to wear more than once. Having already used the British Library’s resources to research designs and explore target markets, Sabina turned to the Business & IP Centre for inspiration and advice as she took the plunge into running her own label. Four years on, Sabina’s designs, with their fluid shapes, exquisite cutting, and trademark silky fabrics, have made her one of the Centre’s most successful users. Even in the current climate, her ethical business principles and the financial appeal of more versatile wedding wear, Motasem continues to go from strength to strength. In celebration of Sabina’s success, the British Library is proud to display two wonderful examples her work, the Nightingale and the Lotus dresses, in the heart of the Business & IP Centre as a source of inspiration for aspiring designers. 

Sabina commented:
“The British Library’s Business & IP Centre has been a constant source of advice and support throughout the development of my business, and it is a real privilege to have my work on display at the Library. I hope other aspiring fashion designers using the Centre can take some inspiration from my work and with similar support from the Library can develop their own successful brands.”

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UK Premiere of Twilight: Stunning dresses by new designer hit the black carpet

08 December 2009

Last Wednesday saw vampire mania hit London's Leicester Square at the the UK premiere of Twilight. New fashion label, Motasem, was asked to dress vampire-like models who floated down the black carpet behind the film's star, Robert Pattinson. The models looked fabulous in long, ivory dresses, which were the perfect accompaniment to Robert, as the models surrounded him during his photo call.

The models wore "Alaya" and "Aurora" dresses from Motasem's bridal range. "Alaya" is a full length, silk crepe, bias-cut dress with a cowl front and back neckline. "Aurora" is a full-length, silk satin, pleated dress with adjustable straps. The dresses are unique as they suit almost any body shape, allowing the wearer to feel simultaneously comfortable and sexy.

Twilight is the highly-anticipated movie of the ultimate forbidden love affair between a vampire and mortal and is in all cinemas from December 19th

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Motasem donates dress to charity fundraiser

01 September 2007

A yellow box pleat Motasem dress helped raise £400 in a silent auction at the Black Tie Charity Event in aid of Cystic Fibrosis at Hilton Hotel, Manchester.

Motasem takes to the stage at StokeFest fashion show

10 June 2007

Motasem dresses took the fashion limelight at this year's StokeFest, an annual independent arts festival at Hackney's Clissold Park, on the border of Haringey and Islington. Sabina Ali showed showed six dresses alongside womenswear designers Kate Tailyour and emilyandfin.

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Motasem showcases at Zandra Rhodes' Fashion and Textile Museum at Asian Dreams dreams show

01 March 2007

A capsule collection of six designs made their debut at the Asian Dreams 2007 fashion show at the Zandra Rhodes Fashion and Textile Museum in South East London. Click on the image to see photos of the event. By Dee Tee Photography. 

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