Saudi designers transform traditional handcrafts into high fashion
Saudi designers transform traditional handcrafts into high fashion /node/2590595/fashion
Saudi designers transform traditional handcrafts into high fashion
Traditional Handcrafts Revival in Saudi Fashion celebrated 10 winners whose designs honored the Kingdom’s rich cultural identity techniques like embroidery, natural dyeing, and leatherwork. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)
Saudi designers transform traditional handcrafts into high fashion
Competition winners to display their work at Saudi Cup exhibition
Techniques include hand embroidery, natural dyeing, leatherwork
Updated 18 February 2025
Waad Hussain
RIYADH: A fusion of tradition and innovation stole the spotlight at the Traditional Handcrafts Revival in Saudi Fashion competition on Sunday, where local designers used age-old techniques to craft high-fashion pieces.
Held at Mansard Hotel – The Gallery in Riyadh, the event celebrated 10 winners whose designs honored the Kingdom’s rich cultural identity through embroidery, natural dyeing, leatherwork, and even 3D printing.
First-place winner Rand Al-Saif’s design, ‘Saudiya,’ is inspired by the desert landscapes of Hijaz and Tihama. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)
The winning designs will be showcased at the Fashion Commission’s exhibition during the Saudi Cup 2025 this weekend.
Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission, highlighted the initiative’s role in promoting Saudi Arabia’s culture.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The winning designs will be showcased at the Fashion Commission’s exhibition during the Saudi Cup 2025 this weekend.
• ‘Sidrat Najd’ by Maha Al-Qahtani is an ethereal gown that integrates sidr fruit kernels, covered with silver leaves and Swarovski crystals.
“The ‘Traditional Handcrafts Revival in Saudi Fashion’ initiative is a program designed to promote traditional Saudi attire within the contemporary fashion industry.
“It emphasizes Saudi cultural heritage, enhances and preserves Saudi cultural identity, and fosters local talent in creative design,” he told Arab News.
Second-place winner Maha Al-Qahtani stands next to her design, “Sidrat Najd,” a gown inspired by the sidr tree. The piece incorporates sustainability by using sidr fruit kernels wrapped in silver and adorned with Swarovski crystals. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)
Cakmak added: “By emphasizing Saudi culture at the forefront of the competition, we were able to foster creative talent to create new designs showcasing the vast heritage of Saudi in alignment with the Ministry of Culture’s ‘Year of Handicrafts.’”
Rand Al-Saif’s winning design, “Saudiya,” is a five-piece ensemble showcasing intricate hand embroidery, natural dyeing, and traditional leatherwork — techniques deeply rooted in Saudi Arabia history.
“My design, ‘Saudiya,’ is inspired by the desert of Hijaz and Tihama,” Al-Saif said.
In second place was “Sidrat Najd” by Maha Al-Qahtani. Her ethereal gown integrates sidr fruit kernels, covered with silver leaves and Swarovski crystals.
“The name of my design is ‘Sidrat Najd,’ inspired by the sidr tree, which holds deep cultural significance in Saudi heritage,” she explained.
Third was “Bride of the Arabian Peninsula” by Ghaida Majdali, who took a bold and innovative approach.
“The fabric was worked on for 350 hours of hand embroidery, without any machine. The skirt is made of metal with 3D printing, covered in natural camel leather,” she said.
Siblings Razan and Ahmed Hassan’s brand is only just over a year old, but has already gained global attention
Updated 13 March 2025
Hanadi Merchant-Habib
DUBAI: Siblings Razan and Ahmed Hassan are on a roll. Since the launch of their menswear label KML in 2022, the Saudi brand has rapidly gained recognition, most recently as a semi-finalist for the prestigious LVMH Prize — an annual award for young fashion designers run by the eponymous fashion conglomerate — placing them among global fashion’s most promising new voices. And, in November, celebrity stylist Law Roach opted for a KML creation to wear to the “1001 Seasons of Elie Saab” event in Riyadh.
Through creative director Ahmed’s minimalist designs and sharp tailoring, KML, of which Razan is the owner, is reshaping Saudi menswear by reimagining traditional garments from the Kingdom’s history through a contemporary lens: jackets with shawls, large leather belts of the type seen on Bedouin men, and skirts reminiscent of the ones historically worn by men in the Eastern Province, Jazan and Hijaz.
Ahmed says that their grandmother was a huge influence when he and his sister were growing up in Riyadh. He fondly recalls both her progressive nature and inimitable style. As a young boy, Ahmed would often accompany her to fabric shops so she could get her designs stitched by a local tailor. That exposure to craftsmanship left an impression, though fashion was not initially an obvious career path.
“The family would oppose my trips to the fabric stores,” he tells Arab News. “My uncles would tell her she was ruining me, and her reply would be: ‘Ahmed has taste, so why not?’”
When he decided to venture into fashion, his grandmother wholeheartedly supported him when other family members expressed their concerns — concerns they had despite the fact that the family were progressive, with writers and poets among them, he says. With time, he realized their hesitation stemmed not from disapproval but from societal perceptions of men in the industry. “They wanted to protect me from the stigma associated with men in fashion,” he explains.
With no formal fashion education programs for men in Saudi, Ahmed instead studied architecture, later interning at Zaha Hadid Architects, where he developed an appreciation for structure and form. Razan, meanwhile, pursued law at Prince Sultan University and she went on to practice it full-time.
“One summer, we both realized we weren’t doing what we truly wanted to do, so I decided to go to the UK to study creative writing, and Ahmed went to Central Saint Martins (in London) for a few courses,” Razan explains.
The pair often discussed starting a brand together, and they frequently talked about fashion, delving into historical research, while Ahmed continuously sketched — though he kept his drawings private.
“It struck us that we have so much that we can bring to the realm of reality from our imagination. We wanted to do something meaningful. Tradition and intention were very important to us,” Ahmed says. “Razan looked at me sketching, and was, like, ‘You better do something with these. You better make them a reality.’”
That was the catalyst for the launch of KML. In August 2023, they launched their debut capsule collection. “We just did three shirts and two pairs of pants, and filled the studio walls with references, research and development sketches,” explains Ahmed.
Towards the end of that year, they applied to the Saudi 100 Brands program. “When we presented our sample pieces to (Saudi Fashion Commission CEO) Burak Cakmak, we didn’t even talk about the brand. Instead, we discussed what fashion can and should be, and how people are going back to their roots and want to (express) their culture more.”
The Fashion Commission recognized their potential, providing support that led to KML showcasing its collections at fashion weeks in Paris, Riyadh and Milan.
“Paris was a wonderful experience. People found our clothes rebellious—especially the skirts for men,” says Ahmed. “But it was rebellious to wear pants in Saudi Arabia 200 years ago! Men everywhere here wore skirts — there were different names for them.”
However, the historical relevance of the clothes was not immediately apparent to many online commentators.
“We’re on a high right now, so we tend to forget the lows,” Ahmed says. “We were slaughtered on social media — people told us we were ruining the culture and how men look. It became toxic, so we quit social media temporarily to focus on our work.”
Neither KLM’s skirts nor its wrap shirts with circular cut-outs at the back were intended to be controversial. Ahmed stresses that throughout the Kingdom’s history, men’s garments have been layered and draped, creating freedom of movement. KLM was simply offering a fresh perspective on them. “People forget: 70 years ago, wearing jeans and a T-shirt in Saudi would have been considered controversial,” he says. “The intention is not for it to be provocative. If anything, we are bringing back dying traditions.”
Ahmed Hassan. (Supplied)
Despite the social-media furor, the skirts sold out.
Much of Ahmed’s design philosophy is rooted in cultural reinterpretation. The idea for cinched waists — or highlighting the waist in some way — was inspired by how Bedouin men would wrap a leather belt or fabric round their waists. He has also designed a long coat with hidden zippers that can be turned into a cropped jacket, highlighting that, traditionally, there have been multiple ways of styling a single garment.
Another key piece is the one-shoulder tunic. During their research, the siblings discovered that the one-shoulder silhouette was shared across ancient civilizations, from Greece to India — highlighting a universal connection.
Last year, celebrity stylist Roach discovered their designs. What started as a casual Instagram message turned into a studio visit, during which Roach spent hours trying on their pieces.
“We thought he would just send someone to pick up a few items,” Ahmed says. “Instead, he showed up himself, spent time with us, and repeatedly told us how this is a cultural product.”
Then came recognition from the LVMH Prize — one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. “Thousands of designers apply, and only 20 make the cut. We were one of them. It still feels surreal,” says Ahmed.
Despite their success, one of the siblings’ biggest challenges is production. Currently, KML’s garments are manufactured in Europe, but the ultimate goal is to bring everything back to Saudi Arabia.
“The fashion ecosystem here is still developing, but we want everything — design, development and runway presentations — to be fully Saudi,” Ahmed says. “Being a Saudi designer is great, but contributing to the bigger ecosystem? That’s even more meaningful.”
Gigi Hadid walks for Miu Miu, opens up about co-parenting with Zayn Malik
Updated 12 March 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Gigi Hadid walked the Miu Miu runway during Paris Fashion Week wearing a mix of classic tailoring and modern styling with a vintage edge.
She donned a charcoal, double-breasted coat-dress with a structured, oversized silhouette. The look was completed with a 1920s-inspired hat that ties under the chin.
The outfit was further styled with dangling gold earrings, knee-high scrunched socks in a muted olive tone and brown leather loafers.
She donned a charcoal, double-breasted coat-dress with a structured, oversized silhouette. (Getty Images)
At Miu Miu, the little sister brand of Miuccia Prada, the feminine was not just celebrated — it was deconstructed, reconfigured and worn with a wink.
Silhouettes floated around the body rather than adhering to it, sculpted through folds, drapes, and engineered curves. Bras, no longer hidden, became garments in their own right.
Tailoring slouched off the shoulders, and fur stoles, brooches and heavy bracelets turned the everyday into something significant, a reminder that femininity — soft or sharp — is always a force.
Besides Hadid, Prada, known for casting both models and Hollywood stars, sent a mix of familiar faces and first-time muses down the runway — Raffey Cassidy and Sarah Paulson — blurring the line between fashion and film with every step.
A$AP Rocky, perched in the front row in a nonchalant slouch, soaked in the scene, while Sydney Sweeney, swathed in Miu Miu’s latest ode to femininity, radiated old Hollywood meets modern mischief, AP reported.
Meanwhile, Hadid made headlines this week, opening up about her relationship with ex-partner Zayn Malik.
Now, years after their six-year, on-and-off relationship ended, their priority remains co-parenting their four-year-old daughter, Khai.
“Zayn and I do our custody schedules months in advance,” the supermodel said in an interview with Vogue. “That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t change here and there, but we help each other out and have each other’s backs.”
Hadid said that she and Malik have found a way to manage public perceptions of their past together.
“There is the hard part of the world knowing this much, and thinking they know everything,” the model said. “And at the end of the day, we’re not interested in giving everyone our whole story.
“What we are interested in is raising our daughter together,” she added. “With so much respect for each other, and not just as co-parents, but what we’ve been through together.”
Amira Al-Zuhair walks for Zimmermann at Paris Fashion Week
Updated 11 March 2025
Arab News/ AP
DUBAI: Saudi French model Amira Al-Zuhair made a statement at the Zimmermann show during Paris Fashion Week, wearing a burnt-orange ensemble.
The sleeveless, fitted dress featured draped, ruched detailing that added movement to the design. The look was finished off with strappy brown leather sandals and gold accessories, including chandelier earrings and bracelets.
The sleeveless, fitted dress featured draped, ruched detailing that added movement to the design. (Getty Images)
Joining her on the runway was British Moroccan model Nora Attal, who wore a flowing cream-colored gown with a high neckline and long, billowy sleeves. The fitted bodice transitioned into a pleated, floor-length skirt.
Al-Zuhair and Attal were not the only Arab models making an impact at Paris Fashion Week. French Algerian model Loli Bahia walked for Louis Vuitton on Monday, wearing a relaxed yet structured ensemble.
She donned an oversized coral turtleneck sweater adorned with asymmetrical metallic embellishments, paired with loose-fitting, high-waisted brown trousers. A coordinating brown coat featuring a checkerboard-patterned pocket detail completed the look.
Loli Bahia took part in the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)
The setting of the Louis Vuitton runway was “L’Étoile du Nord,” described by Louis Vuitton as “a hidden station where past and future travelers converge, evoking the golden age of railway adventure.”
The show took place in this historic 1845 building, originally constructed for the Compagnie du Nord railway company to house its offices. Its atrium was meticulously transformed into a grand train station waiting room for the ready-to-wear display, reinforcing the theme of travel, anticipation and adventure, according to show noted.
On the runway, designer Nicolas Ghesquière spun a narrative of train stations both real and imagined, styling passengers for journeys unknown. There were detectives in trench coats, campers in bulky New Wave sweaters, and party girls rushing for the last train in ruched velvet. The designer has long been a master of cinematic dressing, pulling from a rolodex of filmic inspirations — classic whodunnits, fantasies and comedies.
Elsewhere, a voluminous, cascading layered tulle skirt in deep fuchsia channeled Ghesquière’s penchant for fusing styles of different centuries, juxtaposed with a contemporary architectural knit top and futuristic slicked-back hair.
The show saw A-list celebrities sit on the coveted front row, including Emma Stone, Jennifer Connelly, Ana de Armas, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lisa, Jaden Smith, Ava DuVernay and Sophie Turner.
Karen Wazen on hand as Valentino hosts theatrical show in Paris
Updated 10 March 2025
Arab News and AP
PARIS: Valentino paraded high fashion inside public toilets in one of the season’s most provocative backdrops, especially for a house as classical as Valentino.
Lebanese influencer and eyewear designer Karen Wazen was on hand — decked out in an all-cream Valentino look, with polka dotted gloves to boot — as the likes of Chappell Roan, Parker Posey, Jared Leto and Barry Keoghan sat amid the crimson glow of the set. Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna and Saudi Arabia-based Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez were also spotted in the audience, both wearing head-to-toe Valentino.
Lebanese influencer and eyewear designer Karen Wazen was on hand at the show. (Getty Images)
The meticulous recreation stayed true to the aesthetic of a communal toilet down to the tiling, soap dispensers, mirrors and endless rows of stalls, all bathed in an unsettling, almost seedy red light.
Partly inspired by David Lynch, the space set the tone for Alessandro Michele’s bold new vision. With a background in costume design, Michele infuses his collections with inspirations from theater and film, crafting narratives as much as he does garments.
Michele often selects venues with deep historical or cultural significance — think palaces — so this public toilet setting was a clever subversion, even of his own signature style. The result? A show that explored the boundaries between public and private, intimacy and exposure, and the ever-blurred lines of identity in contemporary fashion.
Models emerged from toilet cubicles, some stopping to inspect their faces in the mirrors, blurring the line between personal and performative. (Getty Images)
Models emerged from toilet cubicles, some stopping to inspect their faces in the mirrors, blurring the line between personal and performative. The clothes were pure theatricality: caps, hoods, and dark shades concealing the face, while sheer nude tops exposed the body, a direct contrast between covering up and revealing.
Michele’s designs are characterized by a kaleidoscopic mix of times and cultures, blending elements from different historical periods to create a unique aesthetic. He considers himself an “art archaeologist,” exploring how adornment and embellishment have evolved over the centuries.
Michele’s designs are characterized by a kaleidoscopic mix of times and cultures. (Getty Images)
The audience buzzed with excitement. “He’s upending Valentino in the same way Demna did at Balenciaga,” one front-row guest remarked. The applause was loud, the reaction immediate. This wasn’t just a collection, it was a statement, disruptive and irreverent, pulling a classical house into new, unexpected territory.
Georgina Rodriguez dazzles front row at Elie Saab’s Paris Fashion Week show
Updated 09 March 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Lebanese haute couture label Elie Saab’s Ready-to-Wear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collection transported Paris Fashion Week to the world’s most exclusive mountain retreats, where relaxed glamour meets alpine allure.
With Georgina Rodriguez, Sofia Carson and Leighton Meester gracing the front row, the show unfolded as a celebration of opulent textures, burnished hues, and striking silhouettes — seamlessly transitioning from the polished salons of the city to the snow-dusted slopes.
Saudi-based Argentinian model Rodriguez wore a pristine white outfit that took inspiration from Elie Saab’s alpine theme. The ensemble featured a luxurious, textured top adorned with delicate feather-like details, adding a touch of avant-garde flair. This was paired with tailored white trousers that complemented her silhouette.
Carson — the US actress and singer known for films such as “Purple Hearts” and “Descendants” — graced the event in a sophisticated black and white checked tweed dress by Elie Saab. The ensemble was cinched at the waist with a black belt, complemented by black leather gloves and a matching bag. She completed her elegant look with a veiled black hat.
Meester debuted a fiery new look at the show, sporting a ginger hair transformation. At the show, Meester was seated directly next to former “Gossip Girl” co-star Kelly Rutherford, who played Lily van der Woodsen. Her dress featured a dynamic pattern, blending rich colors that complemented her fresh hair transformation.
On the runway, a rich palette of midnight black, powder white, pine green, deep burgundy, and chocolate brown enveloped the collection in warmth and sophistication. Voluminous fur coats draped effortlessly over butter-soft leggings, while embroidered and sleek tube midi-skirts found harmony with monochrome knits.
The classic tuxedo took on freshness with cropped trousers, pairing flawlessly with an embellished sixties-style jacket, a statement piece equally at home with fitted midi-skirts.
The snow-capped skyline reimagined itself as a recurring motif — stitched into cashmere sweaters, sequinned across layered dresses, and woven through sport-luxe essentials like a figure-hugging zipped jumpsuit and a striking yellow parka. Structured silk corsets cascaded into mermaid lace, while scalloped tiers of beaded floor-length gowns shimmered like moonlit glacial waves.
Accessories completed the apres-ski look: Alaskan hats, visor sunshades, and chunky fur-trimmed snow boots enhanced the alpine spirit, while closed-toe leather and satin pumps offered effortless elegance. Sumptuous fur bags in various sizes added a final touch of indulgence, alongside the latest additions to the Wave handbag collection.
