Gaultier, Cavalli add ‘glitz’ to Saudi fashion week
riyadh — Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli are in Saudi Arabia — headlining the kingdom’s first ever Arab Fashion Week, an event that opened on Tuesday.
Two weeks later than initially planned, the Saudi Arabian edition of Arab Fashion Week joins designers from Europe and the Arab world over the course of four days, including the kingdom’s Arwa Banawi and Mashael Alrajhi.
Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al Saud, honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh, joined designers and industry insiders from Ukraine to Lebanon for the inaugural season of fashion week at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. “Fashion has always an interest of Saudi Arabia,” Princess
Fashion has always an interest of Saudi Arabia. Our fashion council is trying to bring the fashion industry in Saudi Arabia to a whole new level, a whole new industry
Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud,
Honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh
Noura told at the event. “It has not been something that wasn’t on the table or in the picture,” she added. “Our fashion council is trying to bring the fashion industry in Saudi Arabia to a whole new level, a whole new industry.”
Listed as an international fashion week alongside Paris and Milan, Arab Fashion Week offers exclusively see-now-buy-now collections and pre-collections. Until this week, it had been hosted exclusively by Gulf fashion capital Dubai. The Riyadh shows are not open to cameras, and attendees remain women-only.
“We are so excited today to be announcing a history and new era for the kingdom, and for the entire Arab world, which is Arab Fashion Week,” said Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council.
A second edition of Saudi Arab Fashion Week is already scheduled for October. —