DUBAI: From October 20 to 23, the highly anticipated Riyadh Fashion Week is set to capture the attention of fashionistas around the world as 30 brands from the Kingdom – both veterans and up-and-comers – will take to the catwalk at King. Abdullah Financial District.
The week will begin with a gala dinner and Ashi Studio show. Over the next three days, the cream of Saudi Arabia’s fashion scene will showcase their latest collections. Here we take a look at the participating brands.
October 21 (couture shows)
Single shows
Adnan Akbar
Dubbed “the Kingdom’s first haute couture house”, Akbar’s eponymous label, founded in 1970 and billed as the Kingdom’s first haute couture house, is known for its ready-to-wear and couture gowns, as well as luxurious wedding dresses. A mainstay of international fashion events since the Eighties, Akbar has helped pave the way for up-and-coming designers in the Kingdom, especially when it comes to haute couture.
Tima Abid
The Jeddah-born couturier’s career spans more than two decades. Abid says she enjoys creating luxury pieces inspired by the Kingdom’s natural landscapes.
Yusef Akbar
This award-winning contemporary eveningwear brand specializes in ethical and sustainable fashion for women.
Atelier Hekayat
Founded by sisters Abir and Alia Oraif, Jeddah-based Atelier Hekayet aims to expand into the global market. He has already received some help from Saudi 100 Brands, which brought the duo’s projects to the United States last year.
The brand’s mission is to “give a new meaning to Middle Eastern fashion through bold and contemporary designs that combine traditional Saudi women’s clothing with the latest international design trends.”
Mixed shows
Peacock
Founded in 2016 in the Eastern Province by Shuk Almubarak, Pavone creates “designs inspired by nature and art.”
Nour al-Zahri
The eponymous luxury brand aims to “revolutionize the cultural aspect of outerwear by creating bold and creative designs.”
Fatima Abdulkader
The eponymous brand creates luxury bespoke bridal jewelery and will unveil its newest collection this week.
Dar Al Hanuf
Saudi designer Al Hanouf Mazen Al Kabasani founded Dar Al-Hanouf in 2012 as a luxury bridal fashion atelier. It has become one of the top destinations for wedding dresses in the Kingdom, known for its exceptional designs and embroidery. To create his classic pieces, Al Hanuf uses the finest French lace and haute couture fabrics from companies around the world.
Hala Algarbawi
Hala Algharbawi is a Saudi fashion designer based in Berlin. She holds a Master’s degree in Fashion Management from the Rome Business School. She enjoys mixing Eastern and Western cultures, creating a mixture of “freedom, emancipation and traditional warmth.”
October 22 (Women’s clothing)
Single shows
Abadia
Fashion entrepreneur Shahd Al Shehail, originally from the Al Ahsa region, runs an ethical luxury brand that “combines traditional crafts with contemporary silhouettes for today’s urban nomads.” Sadoo, a geometric weave characteristic of Bedouin society in the Middle East, has been a mainstay of the line since its launch in 2016.
Honaida
Celebrity-favorite designer Honaida Serafi made headlines this year for creating a pre-wedding henna night dress for Saudi-born Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein, who tied the knot with Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II on June 1. Serafi’s passion for the culture and traditions of her homeland is conveyed through her designs. Honayda is also the first Saudi brand to be featured at the prestigious London department store Harrods.
Cafe from Cafe
Founded by Kawthar Alkhoraish, the brand represents the Kingdom’s latest wave of contemporary brands committed to creating pieces that embrace Saudi Arabia’s heritage. The label creates structured clothing adorned with unique patterns inspired by the Kingdom.
Arwa Albanawi
The Dubai-based womenswear brand, founded by Jeddah-born creative Arwa Al Banawi, creates unique pieces “for women on the go.” Former investment banker Al-Banawi saw a gap in the market for women’s clothing that was both professional and fashionable. After studying at the London College of Fashion in Dubai, she launched her eponymous brand in 2015.
Mixed shows
Dazluk
Founded by Saudi designer Salma Zahran, a graduate of Miami International University of Art and Design, the brand aims to “set the tone for fashion in the region.” Her designs are for “women in the modern world who are strong and independent, but at the same time romantic and creative.”
Yasmina Q
Based in Jeddah and London, designer Yasmina Kanzal wants to create a brand that offers “thoughtfully crafted womenswear” while supporting skilled communities and using eco-friendly practices run by an all-female team.
Eman Joharji
The Saudi label “reinvents the abaya” by creating collections that combine tradition with modern elegance and design.
My Mike
Moja Majka, which means “my mother” in Montenegrin, is a slow fashion brand founded by mother-daughter duo Sureya and Sara Basaad in 2012. Without basing their designs on trends, the duo follows their own intuition and authenticity, inspired mainly by heritage and nature.
Mona Alshebil
A luxurious, minimalist, contemporary brand that “celebrates women’s success through feminine, timeless pieces” consisting of sophisticated contemporary designs inspired by Saudi Arabian heritage.
Nabila Nazer
Creating timeless, modest pieces for the modern Middle Eastern woman, Nabila Nazer founded her eponymous brand in 2007. She says her designs are characterized by “modesty, comfort and elegance.”
October 23 (Men’s clothing)
Single shows
Lomar
Founded in 2002 by Loai Naseem and his wife Mona Al-Haddad, the menswear brand strives to create “contemporary designs that connect the past with the future.” The duo created the brand with the mission of redesigning Saudi trousers “to empower Saudi men to love what they wear, be proud of their national dress and feel comfortable.”
1886
Saudi entrepreneurs Fahad Al-Jomia and Khalid Al-Jammaz conceived the Kingdom’s first streetwear brand from their dorm rooms in London. 1886, now one of the hottest brands in the Saudi market, aims to “connect fashion with the future, fusing the traditions of urban wear with tomorrow’s innovation and technical aesthetics,” the duo previously told Arab News.
Mazrud
The contemporary comfort brand, primarily focused on creating unisex designs, was founded by Riyadh-based designer Saud Alajjaji in 2018 after he moved to New York to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Noble and fresh
The Riyadh-based fashion brand is yet another exhibitor at the Saudi Heritage 100 Saudi Brands Exhibition. The design of the Salwa jacket was inspired by the historical palace of the same name in Diriyah.
Mixed shows
Hyruss
Hajruss focuses solely on the two seasons—sun and snow, as they like to call them—creating pieces that are vibrant and modern, “with comfort and practicality in mind.”
Jubb
The menswear brand, founded by Yosef Bin Afesh, brings to life “a new class in the modern resort wardrobe with lightweight, cozy yet elegant fabric combinations.”
MD29
MD29 celebrates the culture and heritage of the Kingdom through its traditional designs, elevating them through exquisite craftsmanship and quality materials.
Not boring
The Saudi streetwear brand was founded in 2017 by Yazid Abahussain with the goal of collaborating with local and international artists to create pieces inspired by local culture.
Nura Suleiman
The Riyadh-based contemporary luxury brand “celebrates exquisite detailing and understated sophistication”, inspired by designer Suleiman’s love for the Kingdom’s culture and society.
Exit
Output’s creative design reflects the label’s motto: “Be yourself.” Excita prides itself on being inclusive, and its elegant, timeless pieces “allow people to express themselves through fashion.”