Milan Fashion Week hosts Saudi 100 Brands, a showroom showcasing some of the fashion, jewelry and accessories brands from Saudi Arabia.

The event, which runs through Sunday at the Museum of Culture in the Tortona Fashion District, is a collaboration between White, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture and the Fashion Commission. Together, they aim to bring new talent to an international audience.

Previously held as part of New York Fashion Week, this is Milan’s first event, with many names on display.

The 100 participating designers are drawn from the categories of handbags, women’s ready-to-wear, resort wear, menswear, evening wear, casual wear, concept wear and jewelry.

One of the participating names is Qormuz, a brand that creates bags decorated with elements that reflect Saudi Arabia’s culture, such as geometric patterns and hand-painted scenes.

talk to National, Founder Abdurrahman Aravid explains why a European showcase during Fashion Week is so important for new brands looking to expand.

“These international opportunities are incredible because so many people still don’t know about the Saudi Arabian fashion industry. This is your chance to show.”

The Saudi 100 brand showcases everything from eveningwear from brands such as April by Noura, Atelier Hekayat and Yousef Akbar. Bags from Dania Shinkar, Bovenue and Qormuz, menswear from designers Lomar, Thobe and Jino Collections, jewelery from brands like Dalal Jewelery, Sedra Jewelery and Yataghan.

Yataghan founder Sarah Abudawood explains that despite starting the company over a decade ago: The National It’s never too late to gain new recognition.

“My brand has been around for 15 years and a lot of effort goes into it,” she says. “I think Milan Fashion Week will be positioned high in the eyes of major international retailers, which is important for the survival of the brand.”

Realized under the auspices of the Saudi Fashion Commission, the dedicated showroom is part of Vision 2030. Vision 2030 is an ambitious government-led plan to open up Saudi Arabia to the world through innovative social and economic reforms.

talk to The National, Chief Executive of the Saudi Fashion Commission, Burak Cakmak, outlines why it is important to maintain a global perspective. “Giving emerging talent the opportunity to develop their own skills is key to creating a thriving Saudi fashion industry,” he said.

“We are planning to build a product development studio in Riyadh, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, run by industry experts on the ground to nurture young designers, and a commission to develop programs for talent development. is operating.

“Saudi 100 Brands is our annual mentoring program that provides expert training, advice and the opportunity to exhibit on the world stage, including major fashion weeks. The fashion community comes together to share knowledge, ideas and expertise, and our women’s leadership program, Elevate, aims to increase the number of women in leadership positions.

“Saudi Arabia has a young and rapidly growing population. Providing quality education and supporting future stars is central to our strategy as part of Vision 2030.”

Updated: Sep 24, 2022, 6:45 AM