It was in late June, amidst the chaos of what is Paris Fashion Week, I found myself with fashion critic and stylist Osama Chabbi, who was wearing an impeccably-tailored black blazer embellished with an array of colorful, light-catching stones, when a frenzy of street style photographers swooped down upon us like a swarm of hungry bees outside of the Loewe show. They were all eagerly aiming to snap a photo of the French-Tunisian stylist, who turned to me, beaming, and proudly divulged that his coat was one of the cherished creations from the debut collection of Coccellato, the brainchild of Tunisian-Italian designer, artist, and Fashion Trust Arabia 2025 ready-to-wear finalist Iman Coccellato.
Born in Cannes and raised by his mother alone, Coccellato learned early that clothing could change how you move through the world. With limited means, he started with a vocational fashion degree before a competition win took him to Paris on a scholarship funded by Carla Bruni and mentored by Jean Paul Gaultier. That sharp awareness of protection and self-presentation filters directly into his work.
Meanwhile, his years spent honing his skills at esteemed studios like Chloé and Lanvin seep through his innate understanding of the way fabric can drape and flow around the body, shaping silhouettes that empower the wearer with confidence. It’s no wonder then that his creations have caught the attention of Tems, who tapped the designer to custom design a look for her Sole DXB performance in Dubai in 2024.
For his debut collection, launched in 2023, the designer teamed up with Osama Chabbi, who is a self-taught stylist and revered fashion critic (if you haven’t seen his fashion reviews on Instagram, stop what you’re doing and go check them out right now!), infuses a sense of youthful indulgence, playfulness, and an honest touch into each creation. Together, Chabbi and Coccellato form a formidable creative duo, each contributing their distinct life paths and experiences to the brand’s unique identity.
“We find inspiration through the female Arab icons that shaped pop-culture, the coquetry of our mothers, and the sometimes cheeky allure of extravagant women, both on our screens and in the streets. That’s how we dream to build, a crystal at a time the kitsch of tomorrow by uniting our minds and crafts- for them, by us. We want to insert ourselves in between women and their mirrors, in these little moments of intimacy that are so hard to grasp yet so essential. Not in an intrusive manner, in a child-like lens,” explains the Fashion Trust Arabia finalist.
If you are a style-conscious shopper who doesn’t want to compromise on taste, avoids fast fashion, and gravitates toward minimalism but still want your outfit to make an impact, then the brand was made for you. Drawing inspiration from their combined rich cultural backgrounds— Tunisia, Sicily, and France, where they both grew up— the offering is very TBT to their youth. Think Arab popstars like Haifa Wehbe and Maya Diab, while being extremely fashion forward. Or as the duo put it, “It is a modern and easy take on closet essentials that we’d like to think is far from being minimalist.”
The brand has a sustainable and ethical element to it, too. Each blazer, maxi-coat, trousers, intricate shirting, and miniskirt is made out of dead stock wools and poplins, while the crystal embellishments add a pop of color to the monochromatic palette and serve as a nod to the glamor and extravagance of Arab culture. It’s minimalist maximalism at its finest. You could wear it to the office and for post-work drinks with friends. It is simple, but never plain.
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His most recent Spring/Summer 2025 collection, dubbed Talismanes, explores femininity in the way that we look at it in real life, working through familiar fabrics with intention, such as denim cut as subtle armor, jersey that fits close without shaping you into something else, and crisp poplin that moves with the body instead of against it. Meanwhile, hand-cut toiles, visible stitching, and small embroidered gestures give the pieces a raw, emotional finish. Nothing here is ornamental for the sake of it, instead, the construction does all the talking.
With these remarkable collections, Coccellato has carved a niche for itself— a place where childhood dreams intertwine with sophisticated aesthetics, where bold lines coalesce with playful hearts, and where every stitch delivers maximum style with minimal effort.
Main image: Photographed by Ron John
