One distinct and admirable feature of Saudi Arabian society is its traditional dress. The traditional dress displays not only the Saudi heritage but also its deep cultural roots. Unfortunately, many of these designs are slowly disappearing with the popularity of Western clothing styles, especially among the female population. There are, however, many women concentrating on preserving their heritage through art, architecture, and clothing. These women are determined to see that their culture and heritage does not die out or disappear from people’s lifestyles.
One event with that aim in mind was the fashion show held at the Al-Nahda Charitable Society in Riyadh recently. This four-day event, inaugurated by Princess Noura bint Sultan Al-Saud was attended by a number members of Al-Nahda and other interested women. The exhibition was held in support of a number of social projects and much of its profit will go to charity.
Samia Jafferi who has been with the Heritage Center at Al-Nahda since it opened over 11 years ago designed each gown on display. A total of 38 gowns from various regions of Saudi Arabia were displayed; the gowns were reproductions of older ones but with a modern touch. I spoke to Somaya Badr Mohamed, director of the Heritage Center at Al-Nahda about some of the gowns.
My first impression of the gowns was not only their exotic beauty but also their stunning variety. Every gown had different embroidery and arrangement of colors and patterns. “Each gown is an original and tells its own story. No two are alike,” Somaya said. “All are Saudi gowns and each represents a region and historical period.” The gowns are a mixture of styles from the Kingdom including Najd, Hejaz and Asir.
Made from cotton, velvet, linen and silk, the gowns were loose fitting and non-transparent depicting their Islamic origin. The Najdi gowns were rich in green and burgundy. “We used the same color scheme as traditional Najdi gowns. ” Somaya called these earth colors and were used in Najdi gowns in the old days. One Najdi gown had a traditional headdress using hanging beads of lead and silver with old coins.
The Hejazi gowns were slightly different with sapphire blues and fuchsias as well as dark red greens and purples. These gowns showed more diverse designs in their embroidery. “You can see by the colors and embroidery that the gowns of Hejaz were influenced by other cultures,” said Somaya.
One such gown on display was a type of gown using a technique called surma. With small flowered designs on the front and resembling a sari, one could see Indian and Pakistani influences. This rust-colored gown was a bridal gown from Makkah. Another beautiful gown from the Hejaz was made with lead beads. The prints were embroidered around the neck and wrist with tiny lead beads. As I looked at the fine detail of the gown, Somaya told me how the beads had been made in the past. “Women heated the lead in a pot and as the lead began to cool, they broke off little pieces with their teeth. The style of using lead beads is fading out and we are trying to bring the look back.” Other styles on display included those of Bani Malik, Bani Tammin and Bani Saad.
Just looking at the gowns and their features, one could imagine the time that went into making them. Somaya continued, “It usually takes two to three months to complete a gown. All of the embroidery is handmade which makes it very time-consuming.”
I asked Somaya how one could tell where the different gowns came from. Somaya smiled and said, “You can tell by the cut of the gown. The Najdi gowns are cut in a triangle and the Hejazi ones are straight cut.”
Looking at the designs, I noticed the vivid purple colors from Asir. One gown had a straw hat above it and Somaya explained, “It was very common in the old days for the women of Asir to wear a straw hat because they worked outside in the sun.”
I asked where women today could wear such exotic clothes and Somaya answered, “People wear them on special occasions especially during Ramadan. In the old days, bedouin women wore the gowns everyday.”
One purpose of the exhibition was to revive traditional gown-making and Somaya concluded, “We would like to see our women wearing and making these gowns. We want mothers to teach these arts to their children and so keep our culture and our heritage alive and in evidence.”
