Fluid by Kareem Aladhami: The First Iraqi Fashion Designer on Vienna Fashion Week

Young Austria-based Iraqi fashion designer, Kareem Aladhami, who first landed in the spotlight with his 2022 anti-war collection KRIEG IST KEIN VERB (War is Not a Verb), has launched their 2025 collection, Fluid at the 2025 Vienna Fashion Week. The event highlighted him as part of “The Next Generation”, officially making him the first Iraqi designer to participate in Austria’s largest international fashion festival. This is no light feat considering how Europe is seeing a new and increased wave of anti-immigrant sentiments and vigilantism.

Kareem Aladhami walks the runway at Vienna Fashion Week wearing his collection Fluid. Photographed by Malena Wolf, make-up by Marie Gesse and Mara Priscan. Image courtesy of Malena Wolf and Kareem Aladhami.

Rooted in his background as a refugee, Fluid sees Aladhami remaining faithful to his practice of using fashion as a messenger for world peace. However, in collaboration with a Berlin-based bio laboratory, Fluid also sees Aladhami experimenting with innovative ways to craft his garment, as the patterned fabrics Fluid were made using microscopic images of his own body fluids. This is why Fluid by Kareem Aladhami is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

A model walks the runway at Vienna Fashion Week wearing Fluid by Kareem Aladhami. Photographed by Malena Wolf, make-up by Marie Gesse and Mara Priscan, modelled by Palomi Siener, Karolina Soukup, Alma Cosic. Image courtesy of Malena Wolf and Kareem Aladhami.

To create Fluid’s fabrics, Aladhami took microscopic photographs of his different body fluids such as blood and tears – these were then digitally refined and transferred onto organic cotton fabrics in close collaboration with a German textile company. For Aladhami, this creation process signifies the indomitable and adaptable human spirit in two distinct ways.

First, because of his reflections on how human body fluids contain human DNA–specific identity markers that vary from person to person, and yet every single specific person’s body fluids will also without doubt contain their DNA. This reveals that even humanity’s most unique identity markers are still contained within universally shared traits. Hence, the egalitarian message contained within Fluid, the collection reminds people of their shared humanity. Even if people come from different parts of the world, we all share humanity and hope for a better future.

Second is Aladhami’s understanding of fluids as a symbol of humanity’s ability to adapt and prevail in the face of challenging circumstances. This reading owes itself to the liquid quality of human body fluids which can adjust their forms to exist in different containers and environments. This reflection has its roots in Aladhami’s own background as a refugee in Austria, where he had to adjust to life in a new country; with customs and terrain far different from his own. Here, Aladhami is highlighting the strength and courage of refugees and immigrants, all while reminding everyone that a similar strength exists within them too: to shift their mindset and overcome rigid barriers.

Despite not being part of Aladhami’s interpretation of Fluid, the body of work also arguably contains an equally important environmental message. This is because Fluid quite literally showcases how just like the body fluids plastered across its surface, garments are also an essential part of human existence. This elevation requires audiences to think of garments with better regard, ultimately rebuking the current trend of fast fashion that has caused more harm than good. Fast fashion production creates 10 percent of the world’s total carbon emissions, all while exploiting workers from the Global South who are required to work 10-16 hours for 3x less than their country’s living wage.

Iraqi designer Kareem Aladhami has made history as the first from his country to showcase at Vienna Fashion Week with his collection merging bio-design and activism. Collaborating with a Berlin lab, the transformation of microscopic images of his blood and tears into organic cotton prints symbolizes both the universality of DNA and the resilience of displacement. These garments ultimately function as a reflection of his refugee journey. Beyond its commentary on shared humanity, Fluid critiques fast fashion’s exploitation and environmental harm, as Aladhami himself puts it, “fashion is never just fabric. It is a mirror of identity, a personal journey, and a universal language that speaks to social and cultural issues worldwide.”

Find out more about Fluid by Abdul Kareem Aladhami and their other initiatives by checking their Instagram @kareem.aladhami.