OCTOBER BUZZ: Just as the September frenzy from fashion month winds down, the attention of the global fashion community will be shifting eastward. The Gulf countries in the Middle East are creating an October buzz with high-profile events attracting global names and talent.
One of the most watched will be Saudi Arabia’s inaugural fashion week, taking place in Riyadh from Oct. 20-23. The lineup is all Saudi designers, but it’s definitely not all modest. The country, which is on a fast path of economic and cultural transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will bring to the runway Saudi designers in both ready-to-wear and couture. The shows, reflective of the new freedoms around public dressing, will include celebrity favorite Yousef Akbar, who has dressed Nicole Kidman and Sharon Stone, and Abadia, by Shahd AlShehail, an ethical luxury label worn by singer Alicia Keys.
Saudi Arabia has always had a high-spending luxury fashion consumer. For decades what was hidden behind closed doors or shown in markets overseas will be in Riyadh for the world to experience. CEO of the Fashion Commission Burak Cakmak said the kingdom is ripe for its own fashion week. “We already have events like the Red Sea Film Festival where celebrities from around the world are looking to be dressed by local talent. There is a lot in the kingdom for the world to come and discover.”
In Qatar, the October Edition of Qatar Creates will once again showcase the country’s influence across art and fashion at the end of the month. Hosted under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, the week will highlight high-profile art openings including artists Dan Flavin and Donald Judd’s largest show outside of the U.S., and will culminate with the glitzy celebrity-filled red carpet of the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards.