Nonie Rahal Kharey and the House of Nonie, still riding the waves of success and through its recent holiday show, the House of Nonie continues to display no sign of stopping. The JR 2010 Holiday collection  pays tribute to Rahal Kharey’s brother Jassy Rahal.

Once again Rahal Kharey brought her love of glamour to the centre stage. Every women present could not doubt the wearability of House of Nonie garments. A personal favorite, black trousers with an over sized side pocket. Accented shoulders capelets and looser silhouettes were seen with a well tailored and timeless trench.

A matching tweed skirt and suit was shown along with other pieces showcasing Rahal Kharey’s versatility with classic shapes results as the perfect match for the modern woman.

Words by Linda Sui Lem
Photos by Lina Oprea
Video by Paul Spenard

This coming weekend, Nonie Rahal-Kharey, lead designer behind the House of Nonie, will present a holiday season collection dedicated to not only love but the voice of awareness against senseless acts of violence we so often come across today.

“There needs to be more love in this world to end all violence and fear,” says Rahal-Kharey who has an ongoing relationship with the Calgary Police and is a regular speaker at various events educating on the dangers of violence.

The collection not only for love and against violence but dedicated to Rahal-Kharey’s brother whom she lost to violence. Through this collection, Rahal-Kharey hopes to raise awareness against violence as well as funds for the Canadian Red Cross.

Hosted by Judy Gabriel, doors are set to open at West Restaurant and Bar (225 7th Avenue SW), Saturday , 24th July 2010.

Styling for the show will be provided by renowned stylist Carl Abad with make-up and hair provided by Artists Within.

DATE – 24th July 2010

WHERE – West Restaurant and Bar  ( 225 7th Avenue SW)

TIME – Doors open at 4.30PM || Fashion show starts at 5.00PM SHARP*

TICKETS - $10 Tickets are available at the door. (Portion of funds go to the Red Cross)

For more information on the House of Nonie Holiday JR2010 collection please visit http://www.houseofnonie.com

The fierce moves of the House of Dangerkat dominated the runway for the House of Nonie presentation for Fall/Winter 10 and one could not wait as the anticipation grew for the collection to unfold.

Never one to disappoint, Nina Rahal-Kharey’s sophomore show at the previous AFW was anything but inferior, starting the show with the memorable experience seems to be a Rahal-Kharey signature. Playing with the cameras, infusing the bustling audience with luscious beats it was a smooth transition from performers to models as the first model captured the golden jacket from one of the performers.

As the show was set to pace, models walked the runway with that same pulse from the performance. The collection was named ‘Valor’ and with true strength and high energy, it did not stray from the definition.

The collection carried more edge and digressed from Rahal-Kharey’s previous collection. This time there was a stronger silhouette as well tailored suits alluded to the confidence of the 40’s woman. Suits were trimmed around the collar with ruffles and made with a satin looking material. Bold shoulders were accented with gold on long sleeved black tops and paired with spandex holster leggings that have been prevalent on many runways; the added shimmer connected it to the energy of the 80’s but with more of a soft edge. As with all of Rahal-Kharey’s designs it evoked class but with a youthful twist, infused with elegance.

Matched with miniature top hats and crowns adorned the models heads that juxtaposed the outfits bringing cohesion.

Color was kept to a minimum black and gold were the main staples but grey was also added in a stunning strapless cocktail dress with 4 swipes of black came down the runway.

Playing with proportions was evident throughout the collection as, puff sleeves, single shouldered accents, and at the finale a dress with a gold bodice and black bottom boasted layered satin and tulling. The bottom a concoction of those two fabrics was a mixture that came from different angles and finished off with an asymmetric hemline was the coup de grace.

To brand oneself, as a Canadian designer Rahal-Kharey was clear in the identity of her collection, and like her previous collection it was true to her vision, we could still see her passion come through in the designs, and thus are proud to have her showing once again.

However, the night did not end there for Rahal-Kharey, as the host of the after parties, which was held conveniently at BR& where the shows were located. Rahal-Kharey played the gracious host after a quick outfit change into her finale piece.

The night brought a different spin to the regular techno beats heard as of late where hip-hop was reincarnated. The event fittingly named Break the Runway. Bboys flipped and tricked on what was the runway and there could not be a better finish to the night.

Words by Linda Sui Lem

Photos by Faby Martin

After losing her brother to gang violence in 2005,  Nina ‘Nonie’ Rahal-Kharey was triggered to pursue her passion for design. Rahal-Kharey’s House of Nonie debut Spring 2010 collection at Alberta Fashion Week would receive warm attention.

Key elements incorporated into the House of Nonie collections come to light tribute through the colour red,  a tribute to her brother. In as little as a year House of Nonie has garnished a substantial and well received amount of attention with designs such as the one shouldered dresses, a solid set of flowing gowns and well proportioned suits that exude soft elegance.

Wielding not only a great sense of style, Rahal-Kharey is also a graduate of Computer Engineering. The enthusiastic designer had chosen a career in the field, but  changed paths.

Having learned how to sew at an early age from her mother who worked for a clothing manufacturer as well as retaining the influences of her father also in the textile business. Rahal-Kharey’s prevalent interest in  designing and sketching  would take centre stage after a time of hardship.

The House of Nonie currently has four collections under it’s umbrella and will once again be showing at Alberta Fashion Week.

As the House of Nonie grows Rahal-Kharey has joined forces with her husband to further expand the company and with the exposure gathered from AFW it’s expected to expand even further.

Outside of fashion, Rahal-Karey gives her time to the community, volunteering with the Calgary Police to speak about gang violence and providing awareness for teenagers and parents of the signs of gang violence.

Q&A

CF: What is your Spring style essential?

NRK (Nina Rahal-Kharey): Ripped jeans and bohemian inspired clothing and purses with the long strap so you can wear them as a messenger bag.

CF: Leggings or Jeggings (Jean leggings)?

NRK: Leggings, go for pleather or shinny leggings in dark colors. High waisted leggings are great as well. but, if you have the right built defiantly go for the jegging!

CF: What other things are you working on?

NRK: Working on writing a book, and planning fashion shows to create awareness for the causes closest to me.

CF: Something you can’t live without?

NRK: Vintage glamour

For more information on gang violence, please visit http://www.getalife.ca

For more information on House of Nonie, please visit http://www.houseofnonie.com

Linda Sui Lem

Alberta Fashion Week Day 4 – Part 1 from Calgary Fashion on Vimeo.

The House of Nonie designs were simple, yet classy as pieces draped each model with incredible ease. The fabric flowed and moved like the waterfall mentioned earlier.

Rahal-Kharey said this collection was, “Inspired from her roots.”

This was evident in the sari-like shaping of the pieces and the one shoulder strapping which is not only signature Nonie but an allusion to her Indian ancestry.

The lack of colour was not missed in this collection as it was clear Rahal-Kharey wanted to keep the clothes simple and not too bold.

However, she was able to draw from the pool of blacks, whites and silvers to present a lovely fitted top which hypnotized you with its milky-way patterns. This collection was comfortable for Nonie, it didn’t push many boundaries nor did it break many molds. The first half of the collection seemed a bit repetitive and sometimes blurred the line between evening dress and night gown.

There is no doubt The House of Nonie is a growing name in Canadian fashion but in order to move to the next level this designer needs to be a slight more careful about finishing. A few strands were loose and a couple of the back zippers bunched awkwardly.

However, the latter half of the collection was stunning and alluded to the kind of energy audience members were expecting after such a great opening performance. A couple of pieces were accented beautifully with detailed beading adding sparkle and pizazz to their finish. The short “scamper” pant was a new take on the low drop pant, something many critics have never seen from a local designer.

White dresses juxtaposed black flitted ones, playing off the yin and yang of good and evil, sexy and classy, subtle and seductive. If The House of Nonie is able to continue to take her ideas to the extreme and not be afraid to lash out on the world the up and coming designer will have a very bright future and a promising career.

By Ian Keteku

Photos by David Austin © 2009

Friday night at Alberta Fashion Week kicked off with an animated performance thanks to The House of Nonie. Anxious audience members waited in anticipation to see what Nonie had in store following a sleek and profound performance at ParkShow a month earlier. But designer Nina Rahal-Kharey wasn’t ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet.

Suddenly, leaping, skipping and twirling along the catwalk was not a model but a traditional Indian dancer. She danced to the rhythmic music layered with the sounds of a waterfall. This surely was to set the precedent for this collection or was it?

By Ian Keteku

Photos by Faby Martin © 2009