What We Are Buying Today: The Voula Collection

What We Are Buying Today: The Voula Collection
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Updated 31 October 2022
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What We Are Buying Today: The Voula Collection

What We Are Buying Today: The Voula Collection

Originality of design is often considered the key to success in the competitive abaya market.

But Sarah Al-Bedair’s Voula Collection brand also combines accessories in its eye-theme-based embroidered garments. 

The brand was launched during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown period in Saudi Arabia at first making fashionable cloth masks but then expanding into abaya production.

Al-Bedair uses a range of materials and fabrics, mostly sourced from Europe, including linen, crape, organza, denim, poplin, and cotton. 

The inspiration for her designs was originally drawn from Greece, before she started focusing on Saudi themes such as camels, palm trees, and horses.

She began by creating abayas that could be worn as dresses, then moved into making fashionable face masks with eye designs, and more recently started designing summer abayas for daytime and evening wear. 

Al-Bedair has had an interest in fabrics and the fashion world since a young age, eventually prompting friends and family to encourage her to set up her own brand.

She said: “In my opinion, every fashion designer has their own passion, style, and vision. What makes each of us different is our commitment, attitude, creativity, diversity, customer-orientation, and consistency in exceeding customers’ expectations.” 

For more information about the brand, visit @voulacollection on Instagram.


Gigi Hadid hits the runway for Chanel as Lyna Khoudri attends show

Gigi Hadid hits the runway for Chanel as Lyna Khoudri attends show
Updated 04 October 2023
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Gigi Hadid hits the runway for Chanel as Lyna Khoudri attends show

Gigi Hadid hits the runway for Chanel as Lyna Khoudri attends show

DUBAI: As Chanel's models — including US Dutch Palestinian Gigi Hadid and British Moroccan Nora Attal — took their sashay down the Paris runway, guests could practically hear the faint splashes from the pools of the villa Noailles. This historic cubist space in the south of France, once graced by luminaries like Luis Buñuel, Man Ray, Dalí — and also Karl Lagerfeld — has for almost a century been a beacon for art. 

Virginie Viard’s spring collection emerged as a sun-drenched ode to the villa’s gardens. With Hadid leading the pack in flip-flops, the stalwart was stripped of its typical high-brow allure, grounding Chanel styles in an earthy, relaxed summer vibe, the Associated Press reported.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CHANEL (@chanelofficial)

“Sophistication juxtaposed with informality, the ever-present tweed, sporty touches, and delicate lace: I aimed for a harmonious blend of contrasts,” Viard said. Using the sunlit flora and tranquil pool of the villa as a muse, her collection leaned away from Lagerfeld’s signature high-glam aesthetic, presenting a panorama of comfort, chicness — and, gasp, relatability. 

The parade began with multicolored tweed dressing gowns, their luxurious threads catching the light as models moved. Easygoing, low-slung outfits that evoked an air of carefree leisure faintly contrasted with detailed geometric designs gracing several pieces. Lace trimmings whispered of femininity and delicate craftsmanship, while sporty accents gave the ensembles a touch of the everyday. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CHANEL (@chanelofficial)

This was a confident Viard, four years since taking the creative helm of the storied maison, making low key designs that seemed as if they had nothing to prove.  The point of this collection lay not in dramatic novelty but in its accessibility. The use of mid-size models, for instance, was a relatable gesture that speaks volumes of Viard’s intent to make Chanel resonate with a broader audience, according to the Associated Press.  

The show was attended by the likes of British actress Emilia Clarke, US comedian Chris Rock and French Algerian actress, and Chanel ambassador, Lyna Khoudri. 

After her turn on the runway with Chanel, Hadid took part in Miu Miu's Spring/Summer 2024 show and attended a dinner party hosted by the brand. 


Saudi fashion brands 1886 and Abadia secure international investors

Saudi fashion brands 1886 and Abadia secure international investors
Updated 04 October 2023
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Saudi fashion brands 1886 and Abadia secure international investors

Saudi fashion brands 1886 and Abadia secure international investors

DUBAI: Saudi fashion brands 1886 and Abadia secured historic international investments at an investment roadshow hosted by the Saudi Fashion Commission in New York City on Tuesday.

The first-of-its-kind involvement in Saudi fashion brands by an international investor will see 1886 and Abadia’s founders supported by cash incentives from Turmeric Capital and matching support in services from the Fashion Commission.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by 1886 (@my_1886)

The collaboration between Turmeric Capital and the two brands was also complemented by a Memorandum of Understanding between the firm and the fashion, which will see both organizations share resources and expertise to enable the development of globally competitive brands rooted in Saudi culture. 

“From Paris to Milan, to New York, the Saudi Fashion Commission is traversing the globe to support the Saudi fashion sector as it grows and supports diversification of the Saudi economy,” said Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission, in a statement.

“The return to New York this year is an incredible moment where we are witnessing key milestones – for Saudi brands as we help them secure international investment, for the Commission as we continue to put our mark on the global stage and for the Saudi fashion industry as public awareness grows.”


Mona Zaki walks L’Oreal show in Paris as Saudi Model Roz looks on

Mona Zaki walks L’Oreal show in Paris as Saudi Model Roz looks on
Updated 03 October 2023
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Mona Zaki walks L’Oreal show in Paris as Saudi Model Roz looks on

Mona Zaki walks L’Oreal show in Paris as Saudi Model Roz looks on

DUBAI: Egyptian actress Mona Zaki this week walked the sixth edition of L’Oreal’s Le Défilé Walk Your Worth show during Paris Fashion Week.  

Zaki, who is a brand ambassador for the label, wore a hot red mini dress that featured a high neck and a long train attached at the waist as she graced the runway at the esplanade of the Eiffel Tower.  

Zaki walked alongside a celebrity lineup that included Kendall Jenner, Elle Fanning, Eva Longoria, Dame Helen Mirren, and more. 

Saudi social media influencer Model Roz, who was in attendance, took to Instagram to share Zaki’s fashion moment on her Stories. “Mona Zaki and Coco Rocha killed it,” she wrote.  


Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi nabs spot on BoF 500 list

Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi nabs spot on BoF 500 list
Updated 03 October 2023
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Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi nabs spot on BoF 500 list

Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi nabs spot on BoF 500 list

DUBAI: Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of Paris-based label Ashi Studio, this week became the first designer from the Kingdom to be included in the BoF 500 list, the Business of Fashion’s index of the people shaping the fashion industry.

The label took to Instagram to share the news, writing: “Ashi is honored to be the first Saudi designer to enter the #BOF500 … thank you @imranamed @bof for being included in the class of 2023 alongside the creative leaders in the fashion industry.” 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

Ashi launched his eponymous house 17 years ago.  

The Arab designer’s garments have been worn by countless A-listers in the past, including Beyonce, Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Demi Lovato, Fergie and Ava DuVernay.

Ashi previously told Arab News: “I incredibly proud of my Saudi roots … my designs are often influenced by Saudi heritage.”

Middle Eastern designer Rami Al-Ali also joined Ashi on the list and became the first Syrian designer to be included. 


Lebanese label Elie Saab shows Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week

Lebanese label Elie Saab shows Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week
Updated 02 October 2023
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Lebanese label Elie Saab shows Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week

Lebanese label Elie Saab shows Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week

DUBAI: Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair had all eyes on her as she walked the runway for famed Lebanese designer Elie Saab as he showcased the label’s Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday.

The model showcased two unique-but-breezy looks on the runway for the collection titled ‘Moonlight Shadow.’

In the show notes, the label described the Elie Saab woman as, “always ready for moonlight gatherings in radiant day looks that bring blissful glimmers to the evening.”

“Flowing open-back summer dresses with scalloped hemlines are garden-fresh in oversized white English lace. Wisps of citrus organza flowers flourish from the monochromatic hemlines of billowing silk bomber jackets. Chunky tromp-l’oeil sapphires, rubies and platinum chains trace a white kaftan with a sleek cape,” it continued.

“Of course, the party is never complete without raffia leather platforms, mini top-handle bags and extravagant gemstone jewellery.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

Previously, Al-Zuhair also hit the runway for Japanese-helmed label Yohji Yamamoto and French jewelry brand Messika at Paris Fashion Week, just days after she walked for French label Balmain.

Japanese fashion designer Yamamoto, who is based in Tokyo and Paris, sent models down the runway in an assortment of all-black looks as part of the labels Spring/Summer 2024 collection.

Earlier in the week, Al-Zuhair opened the Balmain show during Paris Fashion Week. 

The rising star, who was born in Paris to a French mother and Saudi father, wore a white polka dot jumpsuit with colorful three-dimensional flower designs around the chest.  

When Gertrude Stein, a close confidant of house founder Pierre Balmain, penned “a rose is a rose is a rose,” she likely never envisaged its metamorphosis into a Paris runway’s guiding theme. Yet, designer Olivier Rousteing, embracing this iconic friendship, orchestrated a floral ode for Balmain’s Spring 2024 show. 

Rousteing channeled the essence of Balmain’s couture from the late 1940s and early 1950s, celebrating Balmain’s architectural wizardry. With every fold, cut and stitch, he echoed the legacy of the maison, fused with his own brazen touch. Sprinklings of the petit pois (polka dot), a staple from Monsieur Balmain’s era, added whimsy amid the blossoming rose narrative.