The Riyadh chapter of Arab Fashion Week commenced Tuesday, taking place two weeks later than initially planned.
With names like Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli added to the headliner’s list – both of whom are in Saudi Arabia — the four-day event opened to the audience with a list of 13 local and international designers participating.
Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al-Saud, who is also the honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh, joined designers, influencers, and industry insiders from Ukraine to Lebanon for the inaugural season of fashion week at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh.
“Fashion has always an interest of Saudi Arabia,†Princess Noura told the media at the event. “It has not been something that wasn’t on the table or in the picture. Our fashion council is trying to bring the fashion industry in Saudi Arabia to a whole new level, a whole new industry.â€
Listed as an international fashion week alongside Paris and Milan, Arab Fashion Week – which usually takes place in Dubai, offers exclusively see-now-buy-now collections and pre-collections. However, unlike Dubai, the Riyadh shows are not open to cameras, and attendees remain women-only.
Dubai will continue to host its own parallel Arab Fashion Week, with the sixth edition slotted for May 9-12.
