DUBAI: From reading her mother’s fashion magazines and playing dress up to international partnerships with leading global e-tailer Net-a-Porter, French luxury label Cartier, and more, Saudi fashion guru Norah Al-Eisa told Arab News how she was taking the fashion world by storm.
A stylist on the set of the film “Born a King,” she recently collaborated with Net-a-Porter on a live video session during which she shared her fashion tips and tricks of the trade with platform followers.
She pointed out that her passion for fashion had started at a young age.
“It came very organically to me as I grew up reading my mom’s fashion magazines and playing dress up with her clothes.
“As for the time I actually decided to pursue a career in fashion, it’s when I saw films like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘13 going on 30’ where the main characters worked for fashion magazines,” she said.
Al-Eisa studied business administration but took “fashion business” and styling courses at London College of Fashion to broaden her knowledge.
Based in Riyadh, she started her career as a fashion editor, then dabbled in historical costume design before going on to style some of the biggest fashion and fine jewelry campaigns in Saudi Arabia.
The influencer also regularly shares her fashion knowhow and styling tips on social media through her Instagram account at @norahaleisa.
She noted that the Saudi fashion scene had been “almost nonexistent” until a few years ago. “But it seems to be thriving more and more lately and will only grow even more with the (Saudi) fashion commission. I hope to see a thriving fashion ecosystem in Saudi.”
However, her career comes with its challenges. “So many publications and brands expect freelance creatives to work for free in return for exposure when exposure should not even be considered a form of payment.
“It’s simply a given to provide credit. That being said, I am seeing more and more opportunities in the industry that offer sustainable wages and rates, and I hope it gets better from here,” she added.
Al-Eisa said she felt privileged to have a supportive family that had helped her along her chosen career path and being the stylist for “Born a King” had been one of the highlights and proudest moments so far.
The film tells the story of the late King Faisal who as a teenage prince was sent to London on a diplomatic mission to secure the formation of his country.
“It was the longest and most challenging project I’ve ever faced. I spent a whole year on pre-production working on the costume design for the film, so naturally finally seeing it at the cinema was a very emotional experience,” she added.
