< Previous585858 054-059_VISION_VOL2_CROWN JEWELS.indd 5821/04/2024 21:0959 “This is not a commercial event, nor is it a communication coup,” Nicolas insists. “The objective for us is to welcome the highest number visitors from all possible backgrounds.” Bearing witness to this commitment, many of the exhibits were made tactile for the visually impaired and lowered for wheelchair access and for children to enjoy. Furthermore, for the duration of the show, the National Museum of Saudi Arabia hosted a lively calendar of workshops, immersive educational activities for all ages, and talks with regional and international speakers on topics such as: The Secrets of Sentimental Jewels; Flora in Jewellery Arts; and The Role of Museums and Galleries in Preserving Heritage. “It’s not about exclusivity,” Nicolas clarifi es. “It’s not about the expensive pieces. It’s really about forms of beauty, and that we welcome as many guests as possible to discover the exhibition.” The discovery is so centred on Paris as the birthplace of the Maison founded in 1906, that just one room, The Elsewhere, was able to be dedicated to exploring motifs inspired by the emblems of Egypt, China, and India. Nicolas is quick to describe these as Van Cleef & Arpels’ tributes to, rather than being appropriated from, these other cultures. It was left to American architect-designer Johanna Grawunder to root this narrative fi rmly in the Kingdom. “In this museum, which is monumental and modern, and quite a different situation altogether from a neoclassical palazzo in the centre of Milan and the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, we had to build a new world,” recalls Johanna. “Now we’re in the desert. And in the desert there’s sand, sunsets and sunrises that are washing this neutral palette, as well as traditional nomadic soft architecture. So this was the inspiration for the exhibit in Riyadh.” Visitors are greeted with a sunrise, ushered under a desert sky for the Love chapter of the curation, and the show crescendoes towards an aurora borealis, fi nishing with the sunset, all created with very high-tech digital effects. “This is world building,” acknowledges Johanna of her glowing scenography. “And for me, that’s a very important aspect of all physical visual communication now – to accept that you’re bringing people into a different universe, but in this case the main citizens of this new world is the jewellery,” she declares. “So this exhibition is designed for them. This is their city. So they are, in fact, the most luminous object in the room, visually and technically. So in this abstract luminous universe, we have these masterpieces, and we’re allowed to visit their world.” No stranger to world building himself is Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission, whose masterplan to create a meaningful, sustainable global fashion hub in Saudi Arabia in line with Vision 2030 is gaining traction and gathering speed. According to Burak, “Van Cleef & Arpels put on a spectacular show for its signifi cant Saudi customer base, with the thousands of visitors to the exhibition testament to this and the importance of jewellery in Saudi culture.” He elaborates, “Saudi consumers love luxury, and they love events – 70 per cent of Saudi luxury consumers are interested in brands hosting local events and shows. And with one in two consumers in Saudi viewing shopping as a hobby, with high spend and frequent purchasing, the Kingdom is welcoming international brands with open arms.” Burak continues, “Since its launch in 2020, the Fashion Commission has hosted its own international events, and is always keen to hear from brands interested in the Saudi market, welcoming collaboration and feedback, and happy to share insights.” Leading the conversation about the role Saudi fashion has to play in cultural diplomacy, Burak declares, “The fashion scene here is thriving. It’s important we engage with international brands and bring international exhibitions to the country to inspire, educate and bring like-minded people together.” In turn, he adds, “We have many talented emerging creatives, including the designers on the Fashion Commission’s Saudi 100 Brands programme, who are breaking into international markets.” Having successfully shown Saudi designers in New York and Milan as part of this pioneering mentorship initiative, in the spirit of cultural exchange, it’s no wonder Paris, the home of Van Cleef & Arpels, is next. this page, left Catalogue presenting the minaudière, circa 1933, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS ARCHIVES this page, right Drawing of a Zip Necklace, circa 1960, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS ARCHIVES facing page Barquerolles Choker, 1971, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS COLLECTION 054-059_VISION_VOL2_CROWN JEWELS.indd 5918/04/2024 22:0160 060-061_VISION_VOL2_RAMADAN OPENER.indd 6018/04/2024 22:0361 RAMADAN 060-061_VISION_VOL2_RAMADAN OPENER.indd 6118/04/2024 22:0362 062-065_VISION_VOL2_RAMADAN POP UP.indd 6219/04/2024 15:4763 PHOTOGRAPHY Salvatore Arnone, courtesy of D’Oro Collection WORDS Alison Tay Inside the Fashion Commission’s Ramadan Pop-Up – the fi rst shoppable event for the Saudi 100 Brands initiative in the Kingdom’s capital 062-065_VISION_VOL2_RAMADAN POP UP.indd 6319/04/2024 15:4764 Fresh from the success of February’s Heritage Exhibition at The Saudi Cup, designers from the Kingdom returned in full force for the Saudi 100 Brands Ramadan Pop-Up in Riyadh, the latest initiative from the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Commission. Burak Çakmak, the Fashion Commission’s visionary CEO explains, “We curated the Saudi 100 Brands Ramadan Pop-Up to give the public a chance to buy Saudi fashion and connect directly with our designers to see just how talented they are.” To the soothing sound of a live oud performer, and the enveloping scent of bakhoor, a 10,000-square-metre space in Riyadh Front provided the backdrop for the three-day Saudi showcase of womenswear, couture, perfume, jewellery, footwear, accessories and menswear, complete with henna artistry, an iteration of the Japanese restaurant Nozomi, bakery Elba Riyadh, plus homegrown café concepts Bafarat, and That Boutique Cafe. Participating in the pop-up were designers such as Abadia, Noura Al Shaikh, Mona Alshebil, By Sadeem, Not Boring, Noble & Fresh, 1886 and Qormuz from the year-long programme, plus MD29, Las Boutique and No Bad Vibez among those from the newly launched six-month intake. Collectively, they represented a surprisingly diverse expression of the Saudi design vocabulary, from extravagant kaftans and traditional abayas to conceptual streetwear via fragrance and fi ne jewellery. “This is a dream to have a retail moment in Saudi with all Saudi brands, and Ramadan is the best time to do this as it’s the biggest shopping season,” Burak remarks. “We are so proud to be able to bring our second season of Saudi 100 – 170 brands – to the Saudi audience, and all the brands impressed all of us and all the customers shopping,” And such was the potential of the pop-up, the glittering guest list of industry experts and infl uential names who joined the event from across the GCC and beyond included Brenda Bellei, CEO of WHITE Milano; vintage expert Rae Joseph, plus Alanoud Badr, Abdulla AlAbdulla, Alya Khalil, Alaa Balkhy, Dima Alsheikhly, Faisal Ghazzawi, Fatima Al Moamen, Hala Alharethi, Husein Ali Reza, Ibrahim Basha, Nada Baeshen, Nojoud Rumaihi, Rawan Kattoa, Ratan, Sausan AlKadi, and Yasmin Dakhel, all in their Ramadan fi nery, of course. According to Brenda of WHITE Milano, “It was a very interesting idea to have all the designers and brands together in this pop-up to create an inspiring atmosphere and enhance originality. I was very surprised to fi nd a wide selection of products belonging to different categories, including perfumes, accessories, shoes and jewellery.” She adds, “Furthermore, 062-065_VISION_VOL2_RAMADAN POP UP.indd 6421/04/2024 20:1465 I perceived an innate creativity that is spreading in harmony with the development plan of Saudi Arabia.” Burak agrees. “It was a standout success, with 20,000 people browsing the immersive exhibition of 170 brands – and several of our designers completely sold out.” Pointing out the true power of the pop-up, he continues, “This marks a shift – Saudi’s large and overwhelmingly young domestic market are taking note of the country’s growing fashion scene across both women’s and men’s collections.” The Fashion Commission CEO adds, “I want to say how proud I am of our designers. We launched Saudi 100 Brands in 2021, and they have captured hearts and minds at home and abroad while using fashion as a powerful storytelling tool to celebrate Saudi’s rich culture and history.” Greater than a success story of its own making, the Saudi 100 Brands initiative serves as an artistic interpretation of Vision 2030, the Crown Prince’s modernisation strategy for the Kingdom. And the Saudi 100 Brands Ramadan Pop-Up is just one element of the Fashion Commission’s dynamic calendar of events, both in the Kingdom and in fashion capitals around the world, that forms part of its pioneering mentorship programme. And momentum is building. “The second season of Saudi 100 started in a big way, which we’ve proved with the 170 designers showcasing their products at the Ramadan Pop-Up,” refl ects the former dean of fashion at New York’s Parsons School of Design at The New School. “But keep in mind that we’re going through a very robust journey in the selection and education process with all these individual companies – the fi rst season we reviewed over 1,300 brands, the second season, over 800 – and as a result, this 170 is just a small selection of what the country has to offer. That in itself says so much.” In season one, the designers of the Saudi 100 Brands exhibited their designs in Riyadh and New York, and participated in a showroom as part of WHITE Milano during Milan Fashion Week, and Burak hints to expect an equally exciting adventure “not only in Saudi but internationally” for the second season. Burak observes, “Thanks to all the designers out there, we are putting Saudi on the map as a creative hub and showcasing their original ideas inspired by their heritage, families, traditions, way of living, and a new perspective to the world around what fashion is.” Today Riyadh, tomorrow – quite literally – the world. 062-065_VISION_VOL2_RAMADAN POP UP.indd 6521/04/2024 20:1466 066-081_VISION_VOL2_FRAGRANCE-MS.indd 6618/04/2024 22:1067 Necklace, DALAL JEWELRY Tipping Point Parfum, KISWA WORLD 066-081_VISION_VOL2_FRAGRANCE-MS.indd 6718/04/2024 22:10Next >