Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Tommy Hilfiger, Stella McCartney, Donatella Versace, Calvin Klein and Yves Saint Laurent may rule the catwalk... but this article is not about them. It is about someone closer to home, someone who works quietly behind the scenes. Behind all the glamour and fame are people working around the clock to make possible fashion shows, magazines and events. These are the people who are the backbone of the fashion industry.
And one of them is a young Saudi woman and this is her story. She went against all odds and won a place on the international fashion scene. She has landed a job as a public relations assistant with the well-known fashion designer, Stella McCartney. Who, in case there is anyone who doesn’t know, is the daughter of the legendary Beatles singer, Sir Paul McCartney. Her story began here in Jeddah. Miriam, 23, was born in California to an American mother and a Saudi businessman, Ahmed Mohammed Al-Dainy. Her childhood was spent between Saudi Arabia and the US, so she grew up at home in both cultures, fluent in both languages and at ease with the customs and traditions of both countries. When she was 12, she moved permanently to Jeddah where she attended Manarat International School. At 17, she went to boarding school in the UK to finish her A-levels.
In 2000 she found herself back in California, where she was accepted by the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She majored in Business Fashion since it had always been her dream to work in public relations and one day, perhaps to have a boutique of her own. After graduating in 2004, she made a wise decision and moved to London to find a place for herself in the fashion world there. Once in London, she began looking for a job and also took courses at the American InterContinental University. By chance, the university had an internship program with Stella McCartney — but only two people would be chosen from hundreds of candidates from all over the world. Miriam ended up as one of them.
She was interviewed by Stella McCartney’s public relations manager and her knowledge of the latest fashion trends, education and multi-tasking skills were all part of a very thorough interview. “We all knew that only two people would be picked and so our fingers were crossed,” said Miriam. She went on to explain,”For many people, this is just a big job but for me it is so much more. I had very supportive parents and was given the chance to go abroad and pursue my dreams. It is now time to give something back and prove that I can make it. I had to show that going to fashion school was not just an idle pastime.”
Miriam has proven herself and now she must show what she can do. She got the job and became the first Saudi — man or woman — to get such a high-profile international public relations job in fashion. “The second I knew I had the job, I called my mom and dad. Both of them were very supportive and kept telling me they knew I could do it.”
So a young girl with roots in Jeddah got the break of her life and her career has begun with a real bang. She soon discovered, however, that working in the fashion industry meant long hours and exhausting work. “New York, Paris, London and Milan are the capitals of the fashion world’ these are the places which set the trends and the whole world follows. When I really got into the work routine, I realized that getting the job was the easy part — keeping up the demanding pace was the hard part.”
“When working with Stella, there is always something to do. When we’re not preparing for a fashion show, we’re preparing for photo shoots for magazines or choosing the appropriate outfits that celebrities have requested for certain events.”