Marriam Mossalli’s ‘Under The Abaya’ — changing the perception of Saudi Arabian women

Mossalli — founder of fashion website ShoesandDrama.com, as well as luxury consultancy firm Niche Arabia — recently added ‘author’ to her resumé. (Photo supplied)

DUBAI: When it comes to Saudi Arabian women and their fashion sense, there’s one preconception that particularly grates on Marriam Mossalli.
“That we eat, pray, sleep and bathe in our black abayas!” she says with a laugh. “They actually come off — and underneath, you will find the latest trends in fashion just like any other highly fashion-conscious society.”
That’s one of the main reasons the Jeddah-based entrepreneur, journalist and fashion consultant decided to use her platforms to change perceptions of women in her homeland, and to support local industry in the Kingdom.
Mossalli — founder of fashion website ShoesandDrama.com, as well as luxury consultancy firm Niche Arabia — recently added ‘author’ to her resumé with the release of her book “Under the Abaya: Street Style from Saudi Arabia.”
Released earlier this year, the publication explores “the Saudi female’s unique versatility” through a series of curated photographs — images as compelling as they are eccentric.
“Having worked in the fashion industry for over a decade, I always wanted to do something to highlight the diverse and insanely up-to-trend fashion scene in Saudi Arabia; but I also knew I wanted to do something for female empowerment even more,” Mossalli says. “So, when (Jeddah-based) Misk Art Institute invited me to participate in the first Art Books Fair (which took place in February), I felt it was as good a time as any to try to break the stereotypes of Saudi females often portrayed in Western media.”
It all started when the 32-year-old posted to her tens of thousands of Instagram followers about the project, inviting women to submit pictures representing their style.
“We had over 1,000 submissions within a week from a single social media post. The response has been truly overwhelming,” she says. “I shot my own images myself but the rest of the book was all submitted by doctors, yoga instructors, photographers, and fashionistas. We are currently open for submissions for the second edition.”
While the first publication was released in the Kingdom, the second is going global — it will launch on the sidelines of the Contemporary Muslim Fashion exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco in September. A smart move, given the current political climate.
“I want to show the world that Saudi women are more than these muted, black figures you see on Fox News walking five feet behind her ‘mahram,’” Mossalli says. “We have opinions and ideas, and are making changes accordingly.”
The book, she adds, complements the online platform undertheabayaksa.com.
“(The website) is inspired by ‘Humans of New York,’ where people submit their own pictures and tell us who they are, what they do… their story. Our hope is to create positive connotations around Saudi women and Saudi Arabia.”
Proceeds from the book, which is produced by Niche Arabia, will be used toward scholarships for aspiring fashion design students.
Asked whether she has faced any criticism for the project, the fashionista says it has been the “complete opposite.”
“A few years ago, I had mentioned possibly doing a street-style book, and many women said they would participate but with cropped-out faces.” Now, however, it’s a different story, with 99% of those featured having no issue with showing their faces.
“In fact, many wanted to put their Instagram handles next to their names,” Mossalli explains. “It was honestly shocking for me to see the shift in societal taboos that has happened within a mere two years.”
It’s apparent that promoting Saudi, no matter the venture, is important to Mossalli.
“Since I moved back to Saudi after graduating from George Washington University, I have always been a champion of Saudi talent,” she says. “All my endeavors seem to be quite nationalistic.
“I entered adulthood in a post-911 world, where the media’s portrayal of Saudi Arabia was very one-dimensional. I believe I’ve been trying to counteract those depictions ever since my first job as a novice journalist.”
Recently, Mossalli and her Niche Arabia team were at the Cannes Film Festival: “We saw Saudi haute couture brand Ashi Studio dressing many celebrities on the red carpet. Niche Arabia was responsible for dressing Alessandra Ambrosio in Saudi fine jewelry brand — Nadine Jewellery — as well as styling Razan Alazzouni,” she says. “Alessandra said she got so many compliments from her Chopard-clad celebrity friends, and that she was so in love with the SAR 1 million multi-colored stone set she wished she could keep it. I told her, ‘Don’t we all?’ and carefully slipped it back into its case.”
Protecting million-riyal items aside, Mossalli now wants to focus on a few passion projects, including a graphic novel based in NEOM, the “transnational” city slated for construction in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with a Saudi female protagonist; launching another philanthropic venture with L’Azurde jewelry; and creating female-license-plate gold bracelets, the funds from which will go toward putting underprivileged women through driving school.
“I’ve also teamed up with Saudi designer Eman Joharjy and Emirati designer Fatma Al-Mulla to create active-wear abayas to reflect the busy lifestyles of Saudi women,” she adds.
So, she’s certainly keeping busy. And one thing is for certain: Saudi women will always be at the heart of whatever she does.
“We’ve always been ambitious achievers,” she says. “The only difference now is that we have our government and society championing us to go out there and be seen for who we are and what we do.
“What I hope to see is a future where Saudi women doing things isn’t labeled ‘a first,’ but rather that our participation is normalized. It will no longer be news, but the norm,” she continues. “Then we can stop being the first, and start being the best.”