LONDON: Saudi Arabia has appointed Burak Cakmak to lead the Kingdom’s Fashion Commission, the Ministry of Culture announced on Monday.
A heavyweight of the industry, Cakmak will become the commission’s CEO and has been tasked with managing, organizing and developing the fashion sector in Saudi Arabia.
In his role, he will also look to encourage financing and investment into the Saudi fashion industry as well as defining the sector’s laws and regulations, alongside supporting local professionals and entrepreneurs while also developing educational and professional programs.
Before his appointment, Cakmak was Dean of Fashion at the Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York from 2015 until July last year.
He has also has held numerous high-profile leadership positions at major industrial companies, as well as acting as sustainability consultant at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Cakmak attended the Fashion Futures conference in Riyadh last month, which included the first large-scale runway show to be held in the Kingdom at Tuwaiq Palace.
The Fashion Commission is one of 11 bodies established by the Ministry of Culture in order to manage and promote the Saudi cultural sector.
