Saudi Label Abadia Promises The Brand Has The Highest Clothing Standards

Saudi label Abadia’s founder Shahd AlShehail is determined to introduce local heritage to the international fashion scene. Here, she shares her mission of dressing with a conscience

In the Saudi fashion scene, it takes no time to clearly spot the nuances of the Kingdom’s rich identity. The challenge, however, lies in presenting Saudi heritage in a modern and sustainable framework that captures the aesthetics of this authentic identity appealingly to both Saudis and others interested in the culture across the globe. This is evident in spades in designer Shahd AlShehail’s Saudi fashion brand, Abadia.

Shahd inherited her passion for design from her aunt Naeema Al Shehail, who founded her namesake brand in the high-end fashion industry in Saudi Arabia. “Her relentless pursuit of perfection and attention to detail was why I got into fashion design,” says the young creative. “She would tell tailors not to sew the garments unless they like them, as she was keen on ensuring all the garments are made with love throughout all the work stages. I really learnt a lot from her at that point.”

Abadia differs from Naeema’s brand though, which focuses on exclusive and luxury fashion. In fact, Shahd and Naeema wanted to establish a Saudi ready-to-wear brand, representing the culture and heritage of the region and supporting local artisans. The brand was also featured in Paris Fashion Week in 2018.

However, Shahd’s ambition was greater than just launching a fashion brand. “I was interested in this field like most girls, but realised that my career journey was leading me into a different direction,” she explains. “I studied business with a mission that focused on establishing a brand that makes a great impact on society,” she explains.

Viewing fashion as a vehicle for change, Shahd worked on global development projects in Turkey, Armenia and India. While she was in India, Shahd witnessed a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, prompting her to pursue a sustainable, ethical approach. “I was thinking of how I could eradicate poverty in such a way that a simple T-shirt selection may impact people in other parts of the world.”

In that year, Shahd opened her eyes to the hidden side of the fashion industry, delving deeply into the truth of clothing that she got her hands on. “I started raising awareness about companies sourcing materials sold by global fashion brands, and created a guide that enables people to find out all the information they need to know about them,” she notes, adding, “I was told back then that consumers are unbothered by all that, but I didn’t accept that, as consumers nowadays do not know the damages caused by the fashion industry.” Indeed, this was the first step forward to ​​the Abadia brand supporting sustainability and contributing to fostering the local industry and crafts.

In support of local crafts, Shahd was keen on including authentic heritage nuances in her collection. “Once you see the Sadu which adorns our designs, you will realise it is a real Sadu made by artisanal hands – not a mere print or a photo, but an example of high-quality local craftsmanship,” she says.
The support for the region’s artisans does not stop there. On the contrary, this Saudi brand is yearning to capture these details in every collection that is released. “The buttons used in Abadia’s designs are made by artisans, while other details are used in packaging and such,” the designer explains. “Such crafts are not confined to one fashion line, but rather sought to be integrated in all production cycles.”

By employing the hands of artisans from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Lebanon, Shahd further entrenches this vision. She also fully relies on local production at her tailoring house in Lebanon. “Fashion and crafts are our way of speaking to the world, and the way we share the stories of our civilisation. Our products in Abadia enable us to communicate these stories,” she says. “Ever since the inception, we wanted to launch a brand which represents the Arab identity and can be depicted in the look of any woman across the globe.”

Due to Abadia’s extended presence in several Arab countries, the coronavirus crisis had a greater impact on the brand. “Work was suspended for a short period during the crisis, but my business experience helped me organise the communication process among the team since the establishment of the brand, enabling us to maintain our communication rhythm by using available platforms like Zoom and others,” says Shahd. “We even had to send samples for review each time. It was funny that I got used to running the business remotely since I had my baby, and I wasn’t able to travel freely even before Covid broke out.”

In March 2020, the pandemic had cast a big shadow over the fashion industry in particular, leading to major losses at that time. Nonetheless, Shahd found the crisis an opportunity to communicate with her clients in the online Sadu-making sessions and the awareness talks broadcasted on social media. As the Holy Month of Ramadan approached, following the winter season and the rise of farwa coats, the brand resumed work and was able to recover its losses during the year.

If you are already familiar with Abadia’s farwa coats, then the reason is obvious. It is one of the most in-demand winter pieces in the Gulf region, and the brand has revamped this heritage piece that men in the Arab world are known to wear with a modern and elegant spirit. It actually caught the attention of the most stylish women, including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, wife of Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Her Majesty wore the piece in 2018 at the graduation ceremony of her daughter Princess Salma, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK. This particular piece is undoubtedly the core of the Abadia brand, and one of the pieces that Shahd has chosen to pass on to her daughters in the future. “Farwas were among Abadia’s collections since the beginning, and we were keen on introducing them to the global market as a winter piece representing our heritage and history,” the designer shares with Bazaar.

In its latest collections, and in line with its vision of creating sustainable fashion that suits every time and era, Abadia has announced to overlook the season and the year in its collections, launching them instead under numbers. The brand kicked off this year with collection Number Nine, a number which, by chance, is related to wisdom. This elegant line includes billowing dresses and loose kaftans with classic trousers and shirts in neutral shades, made using comfortable fabrics, giving the contemporary woman options she can keep in her wardrobe for years to come. With an honourable mission and fantastic design, we can’t wait to see more from her.

Harper’s Bazaar Saudi Summer 2021.