The jocks were always the cool kids in school and House of Nomad’s debut at Fashion Forward on Sunday made us all reminisce about our own days of locker-­filled hallways and intramural sports matches.

It was a full house, with the front rows crammed with guests. Some even stood behind the last row of seats to get a view of the catwalk. Front-rowers included Splash chief executive Raza Beig, The Luxury Arcade founder Lina Mustafa, and style bloggers Nadya Hassan and Natalia Shustova. Those sitting in the first two rows were gifted lunch box-style packages containing chocolates, black water and a sleek House of Nomad notebook.

With the shrill ring of a school bell the show commenced and men and women marched down the catwalk. In menswear, robe-style coats made multiple appearances, complete with wrap ties at the waist. Girls had loose braids and knee-high socks, showcasing modish off-the-shoulder crop tops and box-pleated miniskirts. Along with the black-and-white colour scheme, there were wintry heather greys and understated chalkboard-like prints.

As the show went on, styles matured: minis turned into maxis, necklines began to plunge and models turned in their notebook props for volleyballs.

The highlight would have to be the belle of the basketball-court look that paired a capacious high-waisted athletic-striped maxi with a cropped white sweetheart-neck top: a seemingly effortless merge of streetwear and luxury high fashion. Though it was their first catwalk show, with this collection under their belts, the boys behind House of Nomad, Ahmed El Sayed and Saleh Al Banna, have quickly proven their expertise in sports luxe style.

The brand's signature varsity jackets were also walked down the catwalk, along with bomber-­inspired elongated coats crafted from sporty neoprenes. The show aptly came to a close with Bittersweet Symphony – frequently used at graduation ceremonies.

artslife@thenational.ae