The Saudi Fashion Commission , which oversees the Saudi 100 Brands initiative, staged a fashion show featuring 10 menswear designers at the Yoyo club under the Palais de Tokyo, with music from DJ duo Dishdash and an animation wall by visual artist RexChouk.
According to Alex Wynne reporting for Yahoo, “The Saudi 100 Brands initiative, which supports 100 young Saudi-based fashion entrpreneurs each year, is now in its third year of international activations, including a Paris showroom during ready-to-wear in March and showcases in Milan and New York. It was its first runway show during men’s, and is accompanied by a Paris showroom open through Saturday.” The featured brands were 1886, Mazrood, Awaken, Noura Sulaiman, Not Boring, House of Cenmar, Uscita, Noble & Fresh, RBA New York and KML.
Brand specialist, Reiting Lee, recently joined The 966 podcast Episode #131 to discusse Saudi 100 Brands and the Saudi Fashion Commission among other aspects of the growing Saudi fashion sector.
The Saudi 100 Brands initiative offers:
- Mentorship from experienced professionals: The program provides participants with access to mentorship from experienced professionals in the fashion industry. These mentors can help brands develop their business strategies, improve their designs, and navigate the challenges of the fashion industry.
- Training and workshops: The program also offers a variety of training workshops and courses on topics such as branding, marketing, finance, and product development. These workshops can help brands learn the skills they need to succeed in the fashion industry.
- Networking opportunities: The program provides participants with opportunities to network with other fashion professionals. This can help brands build relationships with potential partners, buyers, and investors.
- Increased visibility: Participating in the Saudi 100 Brands program can help brands gain increased visibility in the fashion industry. The program is well-respected in the industry, and participation can help brands get noticed by potential customers and partners.
The Saudi Fashion Commission is one of 11 specific commissions under the Saudi Ministry of Culture. “We’re ultimately responsible for building the whole ecosystem,” said Saudi Fashion Commission chief executive officer Burak Cakmak, the former dean of Parsons who took on the role in 2021. Recent initiatives include the first Red Sea Fashion Week in May, which according to Cakmak is the world’s only fashion week dedicated to resort collections, as well as the recent WWD Global Fashion Summit and Saudi Fashion Awards in Riyadh.
