< Previous358 Dress, WAAD ALOQAILI 340-359_VISION_VOL2_COVERSTORY-MS.indd 35819/04/2024 15:35359 Dress, MASHAEL AL FARIS. Necklace (worn as headpiece), YATAGHAN JEWELLERY 340-359_VISION_VOL2_COVERSTORY-MS.indd 35919/04/2024 15:35360 360-361_VISION_VOL2_FUTURES OPENER.indd 36019/04/2024 14:55361 FASHIONFUTURES 360-361_VISION_VOL2_FUTURES OPENER.indd 36119/04/2024 14:55362 362-367_VISION_VOL2_FASHION FUTURES_Agata.indd 36219/04/2024 15:37WORDS Jessica Michault How the evolution of Fashion Futures, Saudi Arabia’s original fl agship industry moment, has become a refl ection of the transformation in the Kingdom itself Where once Fashion Futures was a static business-to-business setup that saw guests from developed fashion economies imparting wisdom to the close-knit local fashion community, it has now become the content arm of a sprawling consumer-facing happening that features immersive luxury brand activations, retail pop-up shops, art installations and fashion exhibitions. When Fashion Futures launched it had been three years since His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had announced Vision 2030, the country-wide programme to diversify the Saudi economy and elevate the Kingdom’s global profi le by highlighting its rich heritage and strikingly diverse landscape. It positioned Saudi Arabia as the new destination for the avid explorer and the culturally curious – two descriptions that easily characterise fashion designers and creatives. It was this sense of adventure and inquisitiveness that enticed the fi rst international speakers to visit the Kingdom to take part in the initial Fashion Futures conference at the Cultural Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, and be among the earliest industry leaders to discover what the local fashion industry had to share with the world. “There was this energy of endless possibilities,” recalls Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, a keynote speaker at the inaugural conference. “Like a very fresh, forward-thinking energy; they were really looking 362-367_VISION_VOL2_FASHION FUTURES_Agata.indd 36319/04/2024 15:37364 towards the future, not the past. And the women I met – because they were mostly women – had such an original perspective.” That fi rst event – which took place from 4-5 November, 2019 – would be auspicious in many ways and featured an impressive list of speakers that included designer Giles Deacon, author and editor Bob Colacello, model Halima Aden, stylist Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, and former group president LVMH South Asia, Ravi Thakran. The conference covered a range of topics, from how to break into the fashion business and the critical role of a stylist, to designing sustainably and the art of storytelling. But perhaps it was most impactful for one international guest in particular, Burak Çakmak, who attended Fashion Futures as the then dean of fashion at Parsons School of Design. The conference and the country left a lasting impression on him – two years later he would take up his current role as CEO of the Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture. “It was clear they wanted to bring speakers from different walks of life and different parts of the world to Saudi to show what was happening in the global fashion industry to an audience that has never been exposed to this type of conversation in the country,” observes Burak about that fi rst conference. “People were still timid about talking about their business plans and strategies, but slowly it was becoming clear that they were interested in taking part in this evolution of the fashion sector.” After a forced hiatus brought on by the Covid pandemic, Fashion Futures returned with a phygital programme that mixed in-person socially distanced talks and online roundtables in June 2021. Broadcast live from New York and Riyadh, it was able to leverage a larger pool of speakers happy to support Saudis from the comfort of their own homes. Marquee players in the industry, including designers Ozwald Boateng and Romeo Hunte, Sozzani Maino – then deputy editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia and the head of Vogue Talents – and Nadja Swarovski, former chair at the Swarovski Foundation, all took part in discussions on topics such as legacy building, creating a circular fashion brand, and how to incorporate diversity and inclusion into a business model. This also marked the fi rst step in the re- engineering of Fashion Futures by building a more robust digital platform component that made it possible for guests to enjoy talks at their leisure. In addition, this year the Fashion Commission launched its fi rst pop-up Swap Shop Fashion Futures activation, in partnership with the Global Fashion Exchange, a platform focused on promoting sustainability within the fashion industry, at the Personage concept store in Riyadh. It encouraged guests attending the conference to bring in luxury items they no longer wore and exchange them for designer pieces from other participants, giving them a new lease on life. This lively activation opened up the conversation about wearing pre-loved or vintage pieces in a country where the concept was just starting to gain a foothold. “I think creating a dialogue is so needed in the industry, especially in our part of the world,” insists Shahd AlShehail, founder of the sustainable fashion brand Abadia, who has attended every Fashion Futures event to date. “We want to start our fashion industry using the latest technology and the latest updates, so having dialogues and having leaders come and have those conversations has been incredibly interesting.” By the time the 2022 edition of Fashion Futures got underway at new venue The City Hub, the word was out – both within Saudi and the larger fashion community – that it was a must-attend event on the fashion calendar. 362-367_VISION_VOL2_FASHION FUTURES_Agata.indd 36421/04/2024 20:40365 The new location of the talks, which took place across three days in mid- November, also signalled the Fashion Commission’s intention to expand the scope of the programming, adding more regional experts to the conference speakers list, such as Joseph Chalhoub, the general manager fashion and accessories of Chalhoub Group; Turki Bin Zarah, the co-founder and managing director of Tamara, MENA’s leading payments innovator; plus key industry insiders including Elena Faleschini, then senior manager brand partnerships at ISKO, the leading denim ingredient brand for the fashion industry; Abdullah Abo Milhim, Istituto Marangoni’s director of education; and Ozlem Cakir, an executive image consultant. Fashion Futures had become a crucial meeting place for those interested in learning where the industry was heading, both regionally and internationally. It delved into critical topics such as how to build a career in retail, drive growth through technology, and design in the age of the conscious consumer. Also notable with this particular edition was the concerted shift the Fashion Commission made in redirecting the focus of the event to a more hands-on approach to learning. Instead of large auditoriums with guests being interviewed on a distanced dais, with no time allotted for questions and little interaction with the audience after the speakers stepped off stage, the itinerary shifted to more intimate activations. A plethora of customised masterclasses and workshops were designed to initiate a two-way knowledge exchange, with local talents sharing their regional expertise with visitors who were just as interested in learning about Saudi as they were in imparting their career wisdom. “The energy and creativity at the event were palpable, and it was evident that Saudi talent is receiving well-deserved international recognition,” remarks designer Roksanda Ilincic about her participation in 2022. “What struck me most at Fashion Futures was the remarkable platform it provided for local designers to showcase their talents and bridge the gap between tradition and innovation in fashion,” she continues. “I was captivated by how Saudi designers seamlessly incorporated their cultural heritage into contemporary designs. The diversity of styles and the bold creativity of the participants were truly inspiring.” Besides inviting C-suite speakers and leading designers to Fashion Futures, the inclusion of the industry’s academic institutions – from Parsons School of Design and Istituto Marangoni to Accademia Costume & Moda and Institut Français de la Mode – has been a cornerstone of the event since its inception. The role of these institutions has become even more critical as the Saudi fashion industry moves from its early big-sky- thinking initiatives to more fundamental learnings that local talents will need to absorb to compete with their peers when it comes to fi nding a job in the fi eld they love. “It’s never enough to be an expert, to have knowledge and experience if you cannot engage with your audience and appreciate that as a speaker you have a lot to learn also,” shares Adrien Roberts, international director of education at Accademia Costume & Moda, who has participated in the past two Fashion Futures. “Guest speakers should present with visuals and materials and be prepared to interact with all senses, not just talk to the audience. Our subject is not one of words alone; it’s one of touch, materials and the indescribable emotions that the imagination can bring to the culture of fashion.” For Rae Joseph, the Saudi founder of luxury vintage shopping platform 1954 Vintage, the continuous transformation of Fashion Futures is a refl ection of how it is naturally maturing as an event, 362-367_VISION_VOL2_FASHION FUTURES_Agata.indd 36521/04/2024 20:40366 echoing the fast-paced development of the Saudi fashion industry as a whole. “The kinds of speakers and the conversations that are being had are becoming more and more relevant to what is needed in the market. I think it’s maturing as the Saudi fashion industry is maturing, which is great to see, honestly.” This year, the metamorphosis of Fashion Futures was even more dramatic. For the fi rst time, it partnered with Hia Hub – billed as the largest fashion, beauty, and style conference in the Middle East, hosted by Hia magazine in Riyadh that is now in its third year – for a more expansive and inclusive undertaking that spanned fi ve days in Riyadh’s JAX District. This time, masterclasses and workshops were taking place alongside art installations by Future Bedouin and Rex Chouk, live musical performances by the likes of Dalia Mubarak, Sultan Al Murshed, and British-Lebanese female rapper Laughta, not to mention the interactive exhibitions and pop-up shops selling a curated selection of items from some of the leading Saudi brands. The expansive venue for the event channelled a broader outlook of the world of fashion. This even approach piqued the interest of supermodel Kate Moss, who fl ew to Riyadh to see fi rst-hand how the Saudi fashion scene has evolved. For those looking to learn, Fashion Futures was ready with talks featuring everyone from Yoon Ahn, creative director of Ambush, and Alexis Bonhomme, vice president of Global Industry Partnerships at Farfetch, to digital entrepreneur Nojoud Alrumaihi and actress Stephanie Atala. All of them were carried out in cosy venues that encouraged a more open interaction and dialogue between the audience and the speakers. “The audience seemed so engaged, asking incredibly important questions and really listening and taking all the information in. You can see that everyone here is so excited for the future,” shares Elizabeth von der Goltz, CEO of Browns and chief fashion and merchandising offi cer of Farfetch, who spoke at this year’s event. “Meeting so many young women from Saudi who are embarking on their careers and who are so ambitious and so passionate and ready to start their own businesses, which are embracing everything from innovation, technology, fashion to sustainability… I was really impressed by it and by everyone’s openness and kindness. Everyone was so gracious and hospitable, which just made it very special,” she adds. For those who are more drawn to the overarching beauty of self-expression and creativity that the fashion industry encourages, this new collaborative iteration didn’t leave them feeling excluded. Across the multiple colourful salons, there was a concept store, an exhibition area – where a selection of Saudi 100 Brands including Noble & Fresh, Chador, and Dazluq were on display and fi nished off with pieces of Pasquale Bruni jewellery – and venues taken over by brands like Bulgari, Dior Beauty, and Richard Mille on hand to tell their luxury stories to the savvy Saudi visitors. “Fashion Futures has really helped us connect locally but also with all of the speakers as well. It gives a better idea, year after year, to visitors about the talent that exists in the country and what they’re interested in,” explains Burak. “But also for the key industry players, it gives insights into how these brands are evolving. Through that engagement we learned a lot about what’s valuable to them, and so we have changed the format every year and evolved it from just larger conversations on stage to something much more customised, with workshops, training and 362-367_VISION_VOL2_FASHION FUTURES_Agata.indd 36621/04/2024 20:44masterclasses,” he continues. “Some of these activations are very hands- on, so we can go deeper into exactly what’s needed in the fi elds of styling and design or manufacturing and sustainability, and even leadership and collaborations. It’s been a great way to get the community moving forward with a key moment on the calendar every year where we can learn from each other and share what has been achieved,” he adds. But what does the next chapter hold for Fashion Futures? Where once it was Saudi’s only major fashion moment of the year, it now fi nds itself part of a growing number of key industry happenings. The Fashion Commission has been very proactive with its Saudi 100 Brands initiative, taking it on a world tour to New York, Milan and Paris. And now, with the recent success of Riyadh Fashion Week, which took place from 20-23 October, making it a must-attend event in the Kingdom, it is incumbent upon Fashion Futures to reinvent itself once again. To adapt to the new fashion climate, Saudi Fashion Futures must double down on creating more impactful, longer-lasting results that can reach a larger audience than just those Saudi citizens who have the opportunity to attend the annual event. “We want Fashion Futures to turn into a platform in the long term,” shares Burak about how the Fashion Commission sees the initiative evolving. “It will always have event components but we want it to be seen as the content arm for any digital or physical moments that are linked to Saudi fashion.” Case in point: a quick search for the Fashion Futures website will send any intrepid fashion lover to a landing page for the Saudi Fashion Insights platform, which is dedicated to sharing information and data analytics about the Saudi fashion sector. There, a 70-page report called The State of Fashion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2023 can be downloaded by anyone interested in doing a deep dive into the current landscape of the industry in the country or wants to learn more about the impressive goals it has set itself to achieve by 2030. Starting next year, the site is where the Fashion Commission will be publishing quarterly white papers on different topics pertaining to the industry. There are also plans to build a directory of all the different services and industry players, from brands and manufacturers to agencies and suppliers, that exist in the Kingdom. “The community we created through the initial events is going to be formalised on this platform and available to a wider audience,” reveals Burak. “In the meantime, we still want to continue with our educational approach to Fashion Futures, but these are much more focused on professional learning through masterclasses, and workshops.” These initial in-person classes will no doubt also be saved for posterity so that future Saudi fashion students can also benefi t from them via the platform. It looks as if Fashion Futures is destined to be much more than just an annual rendezvous in Riyadh. Its new mission is to be an ever-evolving online resource that will impart up-to-the-minute industry insights to the Saudi fashion community. It will drill down into the fundamentals of the business of fashion and be a support system for local brands and businesses year-round. This new stage in Fashion Futures’ evolution is one of the strongest signs yet that the momentum of Saudi’s fashion industry will only continue to gather momentum. The question now is, how will the rest of the world possibly keep up? 367 362-367_VISION_VOL2_FASHION FUTURES_Agata.indd 36719/04/2024 15:37Next >