Friday October 31st, 2025
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Styled Selects: Dress Codes Don’t Apply - Ask Gen Z

Rima Rokh dissects Gen Z’s wardrobe logic in nine looks — dressed up, dressed down, and caught in the in-between.

Mariam Elmiesiry

Rima Rokh is a self-taught artist and co-founder / designer of Dukkan Avantique, a label rooted in cultural layering, memory, and creative hybridity. Born and raised in Riyadh, she carries a complex, third-culture identity; Palestinian‐Jordanian heritage, shaped across multiple geographies, now working between Amman and Dubai.

Rokh’s signature is story as garment. She transforms personal archives - snapshots, sketches, cultural motifs - into layered prints, collages, one-line drawings, and distortions. Her creative process often begins with a memory or feeling, then evolves into visual elements and, finally, silhouette and form.
She resists reducing identity to aesthetics or token gestures. Instead, heritage becomes a subtle undercurrent, manifested in visual references, symbolic textures, and emotional codes rather than loud flags.

In our August interview with Rokh and her co-founder Sally Batha, they reflected on how Dukkan Avantique emerged as both label and language born from their shared third-culture experience and sustained by intuition, community, and creative risk. What began as a reversible bucket hat evolved into a brand that treats fashion as a site of belonging, memory, and dialogue.

This Styled Selects curation with Rokh’s designs works as a visual argument: Gen Z’s soft power; how dressing up and dressing down become tools of expression, not rules to follow.

Each look in the selection channels Rokh’s design philosophy, layering oppositions, sculpting mood, and embedding inner dialogues into styling.

In these looks, tension becomes wearable: deconstructed shirts form elegant silhouettes, streetwear folds into couture. There’s a sense of cultural echo and ambiguity, where motifs and textures carry reference without ever overstating a narrative, leaving space for interpretation, a Gen Z hallmark.

Look 1: Soft Politics
Gen Z Core: Fluid Functionality / Wearable Activism

"Unisex comfort with a fresh perspective, giving more space to play, layer, and reinterpret. I don’t see it as rebellion but rather as freedom"

Dukkan Avantique l Handala Tshirt
Loewe l Anagram Shorts in Denim
The Row l Leather Tote Bag
Maison Margiela l Tabi Mary Janes
Acne Studios l Cotton Cargo Pant
Kenzo l High Top Sneakers
Assembly New York l Washed Out Brown Baseball Cap
ASOS Design l Washed Out Green Baseball Cap

Look 2: Tidal Ease
Gen Z Core: Unbothered Utility / Fluid Minimalism

"Luxury today isn’t about price, it’s about expression and individuality. Gen Z is definitely moving away from fast fashion, but there’s still a gap for affordable essentials."

Dukkan Avantique l Tidal Waves Cargo Pants
Dukkan Avantique l Handala White Tshirt
Kenzo l High Top SneakersCOS l Relaxed Cotton Crew Neck Vest
Wardrobe NYC l Hersey Bodysuit
Toteme l Sock Boots

Look 3: Caps & Heels
Gen Z Core: Balanced Duality

"It’s always a mix of cute and quirky. I love pairing something unexpected or alternative with something toned-down and soft; it creates harmony."

Dukkan Avantique l Marble Scarf
SLVRLAKE l Dallas Denim Maxi SkirtLoewe l Ballet Runner 2.0
Jeffrey Campbell l GRATEAU
SHEIN l Flap Pocket Denim Skirt
Assembly New York l Washed Out Brown Baseball Cap

Look 4: Dark Alchemy
Gen Z Core: Commanding Energy

"Their moodboards go far beyond Pinterest or runway archives, they pull from characters, movies, books, and eras."

Dukkan Avantique l Mystic Nights Short Dress
Cream l ARINA Button-Down Blouse (Pitch Black)
Versace l Versace x Dua Lipa Butterflies 110mm Knee-High Boots
Azalea Wang l DANCY Flower Wrap Stiletto Sandal
French Connection l Flower Piece Earrings


Look 5: Museum Date
Gen Z core: Cultured Cool

"Low-key extrvagance is about texture, confidence, and contradiction. It’s that quiet balance between ease and statement."

Dukkan Avantique l Skyline Flow Maxi Dress
H&M l Wool-Blend Maxi Coat
Lola Cruz l Ankle Boot
Magda Butrym l Mesh Gloves in White
Amina Muaddi l Anok 105 Patent Leather Pumps
Simone Rocha l Freshwater Pearl Drop Earrings
Loewe l Gold Sterling Silver Stirrup Hoop Earrings

Look 6: For the Plot
Gen Z Core: Starry Night Syndrome

"Dressing becomes a reflection of how you feel, not where you’re going."

Dukkan Avantique l Valley Dreams Vest & Denim Pants
Maison Margiela l Tabi Mary Janes
Marina Yee l Reworked Button-Down Shirt
Simon Miller l Beep Thong