CAIRO – 21 February 2018: Saudi Arabia will be hosting its very first official calendar fashion week, from March 26 to 31. Arab Fashion Week is the official fashion event for the region. The Arab Fashion Council (AFC) has previously held the biannual show in Dubai.
This comes as part of the partnership between the British Fashion Council and AFC, which was announced during London Fashion Week.
The AFC launched its regional office in Riyadh with the appointment of H.H. Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al Saud as Honorary President. She commented on the historic announcement, saying, “This is a new era that we are witnessing, an era where ‘only dreamers are welcome to join,’ to use the words of HRH Prince Mohamed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The Arab Fashion Council was established in 2014 in London, with the license of the International Extraterritorial Authority to develop and regulate the fashion industry in the 22 Arab countries. Arab Fashion Week will be held in Riyadh at the Apex Center, which was designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid.
Layla Issa Abuzaid, AFC country director for Saudi Arabia, explained that this historic event “will be more than a world-class event; it is a catalyst through which we believe the fashion sector will lead other economic sectors, such as tourism, hospitality, travel and trade.”
The main player that will be showcasing at the event has been announced to be Roberto Cavalli.
Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority stated, “Saudi Arabia’s artistic community has been growing in size and in confidence for a number of years now, and the General Entertainment Authority believes that such an event will allow a proper platform to showcase their fashion and art talents. As the vehicle for a comprehensive range of entertainment options in Saudi Arabia, the General Entertainment Authority is proud to support an event that seeks to bring people together in a mutual appreciation of the power of fashion and art.”
“The launch of the Arab Fashion Week in Riyadh is an unprecedented step for the Arab Fashion Council. This historic move will propel the fashion sector in the Arab world to new heights,” commented Jacob Abrian, founder and chief executive of the Arab Fashion Council, adding, “Today, we are a step forward towards achieving our goals of establishing a solid infrastructure for our regional fashion industry and providing prosperous opportunities for the future generation of Arab designers.”
During the last season of Arab Fashion Week, Tony Ward showcased the spring/summer 2018 Ready-Couture collection at City Walk Dubai.
We only hope to see the Egyptian fashion industry take a step forward such as this, due to its everyday increase in talent and the ever growing need for luxury.
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