When I was a young boy, my mother designed evening gowns on our dining room table. Her mother was a highly acclaimed seamstress in Cairo, Egypt in the 1920's.My earliest days of patternmaking started when I'd drape cuttings of velvet and satin on my 'Bert and Ernie dolls' or if I had a large enough cutting, on myself!

The real epiphany came at around age 3: I stood in front of the television  mesmerized by The Sonny & Cher Show. I was convinced Cher was an angel from another world as she slinked around in a stunning Bob Mackie wardrobe and nonchalantly tossed her long luxurious hair.

At that moment, my destiny was set.  If an evening gown could transform a woman into a goddess, then I want to give that to women all over the world.

Growing up in a conservative middle eastern household, I was pushed into a math and science education.  At age 26, I found my voice and decided to go back to school to study fashion. Learning to construct garments architecturally, I elbowed my way into the industry until I had my big break at Ralph Lauren. For 10 years, I was Senior Director of the dress world there and learned every part of the business from some of the best in the industry.  I created a legacy of well known styles that solidified my name in the dress community. More of that here

Moving on to more senior roles  everything came to a grinding halt when covid struck.  While the world stood still, I started MICHAELKILADA for the post-pandemic woman, knowing she would be tired of sweatpants and t shirts and longing to return to fashion.

Refusing to sacrifice quality for profit by 'cost cutting', 'mass production', 'hurry up and wait' ethos of the industry, I modeled myself after the great couturiers: Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Halston. I wanted the clothes to be luxurious, well made, elevated pieces - essentially, the opposite of fast fashion.

The collection is about femininity, sensuality, empowerment. It stands for environmental awareness, cultural awareness, fair labor practices. We are here to uplift the world with beautiful, exuberant, pieces built to withstand the test of time.

Glamorously yours, 

xoxo

Michael Kilada