Saudi fashion gallops into the limelight

The Saudi Cup racing festival, held in Riyadh, is unlike any other race meeting in the world. It has been compared to Royal Ascot, where royalty and VIPs mix with racing aficionados – and, well, others who may be less familiar with the intricacies of handicaps and track records but love to get on their most glamorous clothes, to see and be seen.

But another regular at the event compares it to New York’s Met Gala, where some attendees push the sartorial envelope even further.

The dress code for the event pays homage to traditional fashions. It encourages men and women to celebrate the traditional dress of Saudi Arabia’s 13 different regions, demonstrating that clothing is the product not only of different regional traditions but also a climate and landscape of astonishing variety. It’s more of a guide than a code, and some racegoers interpret that guidance very liberally. The 2023 event was virally famous for the attendee who nested live doves in her dress.

At this year’s event, you see women in deep blue velvet, fuchsia taffeta, maroon silk, gold lame, with embroidered scarves, pearl bags, tiaras of gold spikes. Models touch up their elaborate headdresses. A little girl pirouettes for the camera in sparkly lilac gown. A model with a tight perm and a green tracksuit walks past.

Men stride between the course and the varied cultural displays and shops in elaborately embroidered tunics as well as the familiar white thobe and Shemagh, the traditional headdress.

You’re not sure if you’re at a wedding, a mocktail party or a ball. But smart casual it isn’t. Modest, it certainly is – but modest with flair and daring.

“Above everything else – it’s fun! And it’s a celebration, and I’m really happy to be part of it”.

The speaker is Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, entrepreneur, designer, mentor and founder of the upscale Nuun Jewels brand.

She is standing in an airy white room surrounded by models, mannequins and some of Saudi Arabia’s most talented designers.

But she is not in some downtown five-star hotel or designer atelier. She is in the heart of a racecourse, talking over the urgent sound of a race commentary booming out of the grandstand speakers she is at the Saudi 100 Brands fashion Pavilion.

The initiative is run by the Fashion Commission, one of 11 sector specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture, to showcase Saudi talent and offer them a platform to connect with the local, regional and international fashion world.

We also caught up with the Commission’s CEO, Burak Cakmak.

“There are a lot of surprises for anybody outside of Saudi to discover,” he says. “There are already many creatives doing fashion in the Kingdom. And their inspiration comes from their past, their heritage, their families.

“But also it’s very diverse and unique. The Kingdom is big. There’s a lot of inspiration that comes from east, south, west, north, from the mountains, from the desert, from the sea – but also a lot of the traditional elements that have been embedded into it.”

“We’ve been scouting all the talent in the Kingdom, and we have programmes to support them on an ongoing basis. You’re helping them build their businesses, but at the same time, really showcase their creativity.

“So, the Saudi cup is a moment where they can showcase and shine their creativity. It’s not about the commerciality, but really showing an inspiration that’s coming from their roots”.

The 100 brands designers have been wowing and surprising fashionistas in Paris and Italy. But it’s here, at the Saudi Cup and on their home turf, that they get to pay homage to, or share their own interpretations of the diverse Saudi fashions, not just on mannequins and models but on their own people – and to be part of the celebration of equestrianism, too.