< Previous228 Blazer and Skirt, KHARAZ BY SHAMMA. Shoes, STYLIST’S OWN 218-229_VISION_VOL2_MILAN_RED.indd 22819/04/2024 14:32229 Shoes, HAIFA HUMAID 218-229_VISION_VOL2_MILAN_RED.indd 22919/04/2024 14:32230 RIYADH 230-231_VISION_VOL2_RFW_OPENER.indd 23019/04/2024 11:23231 FASHIONWEEK 230-231_VISION_VOL2_RFW_OPENER.indd 23119/04/2024 11:23PHOTOGRAPHY In Digital & Marc Medina WORDS Alison Tay SHOW REPORTS Claire Carruthers, Rachael Snowden, & Anna Woodham Fashion Commission CEO Burak Çakmak reveals why the rst Riyadh Fashion Week transcended the catwalk to become a cultural moment for the Kingdom on its own terms MADE IN SAUDI 232-239_VISION_VOL2_BURAK-MS.indd 23219/04/2024 11:25AD NAN AK B A R 232-239_VISION_VOL2_BURAK-MS.indd 23319/04/2024 11:25An invitation to Riyadh Fashion Week was, in fact, a glimpse into the future – and not just that of the Kingdom but, quite possibly, the world. Intrigued? You should be. On 20 October 2023, fresh from his success as the Gulf ’s fi rst designer to show on the offi cial schedule at Paris Couture Week, at the request of La Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Mohammed Ashi brought King Fahad National Library Square to a standstill with his fi rst ever show in Saudi Arabia as a guest of the Saudi Fashion Commission. The runway glowed red – the mise-en- scène making spectators wonder whether we’d landed on another planet, and perhaps, in some ways, we had. The collection, appropriately called 8pm: An Evening in Riyadh, was created as “a celebration of his roots and the cosmopolitan glamour of the capital after dark”, according to the show notes. Sculptural silhouettes emulating the gentle curve of sand dunes – the like of which have never been shown publicly in Saudi – executed with a precision honed from his 17 years in Paris, formed this compelling love letter to the Ashi Studio founder’s native city. “This is a homecoming,” declares Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission and the mastermind behind Riyadh Fashion Week. “It was a really bold statement for us to host him. Mohammed Ashi is the only couturier from the Gulf operating for nearly two decades in Paris with his own atelier. Ashi Studio is a remarkable example of what is possible for creatives in our sector from this region. What an inspiration to all designers in the region paving the way for everybody else to follow. With Vision 2030 and all the progress in the country, this demonstrates that even the top talent who are Saudi nationals, and have built their businesses abroad, are now coming to celebrate the change, be part of the change, and also show that they are part of this creative revolution with us.” Ashi Studio’s mesmerising show, followed by a gala dinner, ignited an unprecedented four days centred around the futuristic King Abdullah Financial District, the Fashion Commission’s new HQ. The sci-fi skyline of KAFD set the scene for the fi rst Saudi 100 Brands Heritage Exhibition that sought inspiration from the traditions of the Kingdom on 10 December 2021. So gathering here again less than two years later for the fi rst Riyadh Fashion Week demonstrates just how far the sector has come in such a short space of time. According to Burak, “Riyadh Fashion Week has been organised to serve as a platform to nurture an emerging fashion ecosystem, and we are committed to bringing the fashion industry together to witness the landmark moment in a remarkable journey of transformation.” So why now? Thanks to the Saudi 100 Brands programme, the strategic mind behind the pioneering mentorship initiative believes the talent in the country has now reached critical mass. “In order to create a Fashion Week, rather than stage a single fashion show, you need to make sure there are enough brands to show variation across the full spectrum, that aren’t directly competing with each other,” Burak explains. “We have really had the chance to delve deep into our brands, to understand the diversity and product range they offer. What’s clear is that there are enough mature voices across different categories which bring a different angle to design, price point, positioning, and marketing, so that when we do a show, they will all really be able to shine.” As a result, he continues, “Rather than just hosting a fashion show in Saudi, we decided to focus on Saudi brands and launch Riyadh Fashion Week to highlight across four days that we have many interesting brands to showcase, one after another.” True to his word, those invited to show in this history-making moment spanned from established ateliers to the emerging labels from the Saudi 100 Brands programme. Fast forward to day one – an undulating wadi-inspired, sand-dune-fi lled, open-air location with a meandering runway fl anked by neon-lit crests of the Financial Plaza brought the desert to KAFD, merging the past, the present, and the future of the Kingdom. Adnan Akbar, Tima Abid, Yousef Akbar, Atelier Hekayat, Pavone, Nour Aldhahri, Fatima Abdulqader, Dar Alhanouf, and Hala Algharbawi represented the Couture designers. Womenswear brands on day two included Honayda, Abadia, Kaf by Kaf, Arwa Al Banawi, Dazluq, Yasmina Q, Eman Joharjy, Moja Majka, Nabila Nazer, and Mona Alshebil. Closing Riyadh Fashion Week on the third day were menswear labels led by Lomar, 1886, Mazrood, Noble & Fresh, Harjuss, Not Boring, Noura Al Sulaiman, Jubb, Uscita, and MD29. This format isn’t just a fi rst for Saudi Arabia but for the GCC too, as Burak points out. “It’s something unexpected that has never happened in the region. No other country in the Gulf is able to show only homegrown brands at a full Fashion Week, across all categories – eveningwear, couture, men’s, women’s, streetwear, concept, traditional and bridal.” Another way the Saudi iteration differs from its established counterparts is that it’s been tailor-made for its audience in the Kingdom, with the fi rst show starting at 7.20pm. “All the shows start after sunset all the way into late evening to make sure the key people are actually attending and taking part in the fi rst ever edition of the event in the country,” explains Burak. This strategy paid off, with His Excellency Hamed Fayez, Saudi Deputy Minister of Culture, on the front row, and German infl uencer Leonie Hanne, Saudi actress Khairiah Abu Laban, Egyptian singer Ahmed Saad, and Lebanese talents Karen Wazen, Dana Hourani, and Nour Arida, plus the Emirati twins Mohammed and Humaid Habdan also in attendance. 234 232-239_VISION_VOL2_BURAK-MS.indd 23419/04/2024 11:25C REDIT E MAN J O HARJ Y 232-239_VISION_VOL2_BURAK-MS.indd 23519/04/2024 11:25Y OUSE F AK B A R 232-239_VISION_VOL2_BURAK-MS.indd 23619/04/2024 11:25“What’s unique to Riyadh Fashion Week is that it’s fi rst and foremost appropriate to not only the culture but also the way of living and the norms of the country – so basically doing what makes sense for us,” insists the Fashion Commission CEO. “This means that we want to give visibility to all product categories, so we’re not doing a Men’s Fashion Week or a Couture Week – we are doing Riyadh Fashion Week that showcases all categories at once.” Presenting Riyadh Fashion Week in a single venue across three days also afforded the fl exibility to customise the space to serve multiple audience demographics at once. An on-site showroom allowed buyers and attendees to take a closer look at the pieces between shows while, for a social-media moment, TASAWAR by Snap Inc – an augmented reality partnership between the Ministry of Culture and Snapchat, meaning IMAGINE in Arabic – offered guests the chance to try the most iconic looks from Atelier Hekayat, Hindamme, ArAm by Arwa Alammari, Abadia, and Kaf by Kaf in the metaverse. And opening up the fl oor to encourage exchange with industry experts, keynote speeches, and panel discussions featured topics including A Thriving Fashion Landscape in KSA, The Future of Fashion in KSA, and Fusing Creativity and Technology: The Future of Design. With an increasingly crowded international fashion calendar, catwalk shows being livestreamed around the globe, scrutiny on the industry’s carbon footprint, and the continued relevance of the Big Four – New York, London, Milan, and Paris – being called into question, compounded by the tidal wave of Cruise and Pre-Collection presentations in increasingly glamorous and far-fl ung destinations, does a city need its own Fashion Week at all? The answer may surprise you. “The idea is to give the full experience to brands, but also to build a full value chain in the country,” reveals the former dean of fashion at Parsons in New York. “Showing your products is one of the key moments for marketing and showcasing what’s happening with the fashion industry in the country, not only locally but regionally and internationally too. So, a Fashion Week sets the pace for all the local brands to create new collections, and we’re also establishing the cycle of managing showrooms and signalling a time for international buyers to be present in Riyadh, if they are interested in buying from the region.” Defi ning the intention of Riyadh Fashion Week, Burak clarifi es, “The role we are playing is really putting the organisational infrastructure behind how the system needs to work so that everybody who is part of our fashion ecosystem immediately recognises the purpose of it, and has it in their calendar to attend every year.” Part of establishing that fashion ecosystem is ensuring all the industries involved beyond product development are represented and progress with the same momentum. Joining the conversation is Asteri Beauty, the fi rst Saudi desert-proof makeup brand and beauty sponsor of Riyadh Fashion Week, which appointed internationally celebrated makeup artist Vimi Joshi to lead the direction. According to Asteri Beauty founder Sara Al Rashed, “As beauty and fashion are always intertwined, it makes total sense that Riyadh Fashion Week would partner with a Saudi beauty brand, which aligns perfectly with the concept and root of the event to showcase Saudi talent to a global audience. It’s a major milestone for the Kingdom and, on a personal level, it’s mind-blowing to see all these shows happen in Riyadh for the fi rst time – I have goosebumps!” Sara refl ects, “It’s a very proud moment to see all these talented designers and shows, and to be a part of this signifi cant historical occasion.” With ambitions to one day see a fully Saudi team of makeup artists backstage at Riyadh Fashion Week, she adds, “We hope these talents will inspire future designers, and hopefully our beauty brand will also inspire others, allowing us to build a sustainable and successful beauty industry in Saudi.” To fulfi l its function as part of the ecosystem, Riyadh Fashion Week cannot exist in isolation – a lesson that other cities would do well to learn. Any Fashion Week in any region serves as only one part of the industry, not as irrefutable proof of the presence of an industry – a universal truth Burak understands better than most. “Over the past year, we have worked very hard to share with the world what Saudi fashion has to offer. Saudi brands gained recognition from fashion stakeholders around the world, including international buyers, local media and many investors.” He points out, “Our brands have already showcased their work across Paris and Milan during Fashion Weeks. Plus we also launched the fi rst ever report on the growth of the sector, The State of Fashion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2023, which directly outlines the scale of the opportunity that exists in the country today. And we have just returned from our investor roadshow in New York, where two of the Saudi brands have received direct investment, and we are very proud of that. I think that is paving the way for many other local brands to get international investment and to show the world what Saudi has to offer, in terms of new brands that will grow internationally.” Yet, rather than seeking to emulate or gain the approval of its European counterparts, the Fashion Commission’s priority is leading authentic growth in the country for the country. This is evidenced by the calendar of events for the Saudi 100 Brands programme that begins and ends in the Kingdom, which started with an exhibition of heritage designs at The Saudi Cup at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh in February 2023. 237 232-239_VISION_VOL2_BURAK-MS.indd 23721/04/2024 20:28Next >