Riyadh: Fashion brand Qormuz is blending traditional Saudi identity with contemporary styles in a bid to develop designs for modern Saudi Arabia, its founder has told Arab News’ “The Mayman Show.”
Abdulrahman Al-Abed, who is this week’s guest on the podcast, said that Qormuz is more than a Saudi fashion house — it is a lifestyle brand.
In blending Saudi culture with modernity, Qormuz creates everything from cups to jackets, forging a new identity for its customers.
"Qormuz, it’s like, not a fashion house. I would only be more specific about how we design our lifestyle. So, we mainly do fashion — it’s a part of our status. But we also do lifestyle design,” Al-Abed said.
The brand, by merging old and new, aims to develop designs for the modern Kingdom, he added.
“We love to bring and relive the culture again — to take this culture to the future with the next generation. We do our design, sometimes a cup, a T-shirt, a prayer bead, a jacket. Usually, we use our touch that the tradition touches.”
Al-Abed, a history buff — designed and made an embroidered jubba for Saudi actor Mohamed Al-Shehri that went viral; it was the first time an actor has worn customary Arab attire on the red carpet of the Venice International Film Festival.
The Qormuz founder told “The Mayman Show” that he was proud to see the traditional Saudi garment recognized worldwide in a blend of heritage and style. The jubba, which was mistaken by some as a fashion statement, gave Al-Abed an opportunity to educate the public on cultural attire.
“It’s good to sometimes get recognized for your work in this situation — you know, that went viral. More than 40 million views worldwide. Russian magazines, Yemen magazines and Indian magazines. The funny thing is that most of them talk about the jubba like it’s an avant-garde piece,” Al-Abed said.
Even some Saudis commented on the bisht with an assumption that it was modified by the designer. The Qormuz founder said: “The Jubba is one of our most successful stories that I feel proud of and feel proud to bring this piece to life again, you know?”
Fashion is all about influence, said Al-Abed, adding that taking the jubba to Venice showcased Saudi heritage on the global stage.
“The Kingdom can influence other cultures through its a distinct cultural look,” he said.
“That’s one of the moments that I’m totally proud of. Why? Because we influenced — the Saudi people influenced the local and international community. We showed others our culture.”
Among other international fashion accolades, Al-Abed also designed DJ Khaled’s apparel during the American producer’s appearance at MDLBEAST Soundstorm in AlUla.
