RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia’s fashion sector expands, designers are increasingly drawing inspiration from the Kingdom’s diverse landscape and heritage.
This was evident at the Arts and Skills Institute’s 13th cohort showcase, held under the theme “Beyond the Horizon,” where emerging designers reinterpreted heritage through contemporary design.
Mai Al-Duhim, one of the participating designers, said that her collection drew on the colors, forms and textures of the Najdi desert.
“The design is inspired by a visual composition of the desert, specifically the Najdi desert environment, including the sun, rocks and the strength of the winds that we experience here in the Kingdom,” she told Arab News.
Al-Duhim said that she was particularly inspired by wild plants and flowers that thrived despite the Kingdom’s hot climate.
“For example, the acacia tree, how it survives in arid landscapes and fills the surroundings with its fragrance. These are the places and environments where we grew up, so they hold a special meaning for me.”
Reflecting on the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s fashion sector, Al-Duhim said that opportunities for designers had expanded significantly in recent years.
“We’re living in the era of designers now,” she said. “There are many opportunities emerging for fashion and for the arts in general. The environment today is much more supportive, and there are far more avenues for designers to showcase their work.”
She added that fashion has become an important medium for sharing Saudi culture with the world.
“Our identity is reaching the world through fashion, art, lifestyle and culture. That’s part of what has helped us achieve global recognition.”
Another collection drew inspiration from khawlani coffee, which is grown in the mountainous region of Jazan in southern Saudi Arabia.
“I wanted to focus on something that is truly ours and perhaps not discussed as much,” Wejdan Namazi told Arab News. “People often talk about coffee itself, but I wanted to tell the story behind it.”
Namazi said that she looked at the coffee tree, its cultivation and harvesting process, as well as the fruit it produces.
“I was particularly interested in the different color stages of the coffee cherries. After researching the idea thoroughly, I began developing my designs.”
Personal memories were another recurring theme among the collections on display. Raghad Al-Dosari looked to her mother’s wedding dress from the 1980s as inspiration for a collection that bridged past and present.
“I chose the 1980s because that was the decade when my mother got married. Whenever I look at old photographs of her, especially her wedding dress, I see how it represented elegance at the time, the large shoulders, the elaborate designs. Those styles always fascinated me,” she said.
She added that fashion in Saudi Arabia during the 1980s was characterized by bold colors and influences drawn from magazines, television programs and international trends.
The exhibition also reflected the cultural diversity that continues to shape Saudi Arabia’s creative landscape.
Urooj Ali’s collection drew inspiration from Pakistani, Najdi and Hejazi traditions, reflecting her experience of living between cultures.
“My roots are from Pakistan and it’s been like 12 years since I’m in Saudi Arabia, so it feels like home now,” she said.
Ali said that the collection incorporated elements inspired by traditional Najdi and Hejazi dresses, including the burqa, as well as architectural details associated with the Hejaz region.
“I tried to create a triangle between these three parts of the world,” she said.
She added the collection was rooted in the shared appreciation for culture and modesty found across South Asian and Middle Eastern societies.
