Saudi-ALsharqiya, July 4: The Saudi Fashion Authority announced the launch of its first Fashion Week in Riyadh, between October 20 and 23. This step comes after it recently organized the "100 Brand Saudi" exhibition over 4 days in the French capital, Paris, and is preparing to open a Saudi fashion exhibition next week on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week.
Several Saudi fashion brands have previously participated in the Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks to showcase their talents in the international fashion arenas, and have impressed critics and followers on social media from around the world. However, this is the first time that representatives of the global fashion community will be invited to Riyadh, with the aim of making the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a prominent station on the international fashion map.
The "100 Saudi Brands" exhibition was recently organized at the Musée Centrale in Paris, known as the "City of Engineering and Heritage". It brings together well-known brands as well as emerging talent with the aim of highlighting the latest innovations in the Saudi fashion world. The exhibition presented collections of ready-made clothing and accessories for women and men, from street wear to evening wear, most of which were produced locally.
In 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted a fashion week that was organized by a private initiative and was attended by women only. The next event in October will be more inclusive and organized by the Saudi Fashion Authority. The establishment of this commission dates back about two years as part of a national initiative to intensify artistic and cultural production in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It includes departments dedicated to cosmetic art, design, film, music, and theatre. It is considered part of a large, long-term project known as Vision 2030 that aims to develop the country's economy, which has a high proportion of young people.
The Saudi Fashion Authority revealed that the fashion industry in the Kingdom enjoys the highest growth rates among the most thriving markets, quoting a report titled "The State of Fashion in Saudi Arabia 2023".
This report showed that between 2021 and 2025, retail fashion sales in Saudi Arabia are expected to increase by 13 percent, and this growth will be driven by economic expansion and population growth in the Kingdom with significant gains in the apparel, accessories, footwear and luxury goods sectors.
The report also showed that the value of luxury fashion purchases in the GCC countries grew by 19 percent. He revealed that the fashion industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia contributes 14 percent to the gross domestic product, and is expected to provide jobs for about 230,000 people. He also pointed out that there are 12 Saudi universities that grant bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in fashion-related disciplines, and the government provides scholarships to fund students in this field in local and international universities.
It is expected that next week in France, on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week, the Saudi Fashion Authority will organize a show that brings together fashion brands, including: Mona Al-Shibl, Hindam, Sharmalina, Chador, Atelier Hekayat... and this event will be held in the Parisian Marcel Dassault Hotel from 3 to the 5th of July.
