Saudi 100 Brands Gets Ready To Take The Big Apple By Storm
From Riyadh to the Flat Iron District, Saudi Arabian designers are making waves within the global fashion scene…
Splashed on a screen in the middle of Times Square, New York, a sign blurts SAUDI100BRANDS.NYC. It’s more than your typical New York City ad. Rather, it formally establishes the presence of 100 Saudi Arabian designers in America’s fashion capital.
In an exhibition where East meets West, 100 Saudi Arabian clothing and accessory designers will make their marks later this month as they travel to NYC to showcase their creations. In what is dubbed as the “Saudi 100 Brands” project, a 100-person cohort hand-picked out of 1,500 artists, the scheme tasks artists with designing a piece that best reflects the Kingdom’s “heritage and culture” while taking part in a year-long fashion-immersion programme.
Despite consisting of an entirely Saudi group, the initiative’s 100 pieces, 100 stories, 100 brands philosophy leaves little room for uniformity, instead encouraging difference on the global stage; exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to admire creators’ works in an eight-category showing, boasting everything from modest couture to handbags and jewellery.
This year’s exhibit is a rather special curation, however, as it marks the first time in which The Saudi 100 Brands ventures out of the Middle East. Branded as a “global travelling exhibition,” the show will reach audiences far and wide, all while proudly retaining a Saudi backbone in the multicultural melting-pot of New York City.
While helping to catalyse the success of young designers and brands, the initiative- which is run by The Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabia- prides itself on its ability to double as both a platform for showcasing talent and a mentorship scheme; in the months leading up to the exhibit, the chosen creatives meet with some of fashion’s best experts, including those from LVMH and Chanel Limited as well as being given “informative workshops on topics such as design, innovation, marketing, and sales strategy.”
The prospect of crossing the pond has created quite the buzz on social media. Taking to Instagram and Twitter, some of the commissioned designers have shared their nationalism, pride and gratitude in taking part. On Instagram, clothing brand Razan Alazzouni said that they were “honoured to be a part of this amazing exhibit,” while Atelier Hekayat wrote, “We dedicate our success to our beloved country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
It is with Joy that I share being part of the 100 Saudi Brands Exhibition held in NYC between July 26th and August 7th
Get your free ticketshttps://t.co/dPn3mVQczL pic.twitter.com/7nFXDiPpOF
— Haneen Al-Qunaibit حنين القنيبط (@HanounyQ) July 20, 2022
The exhibition will take place from July 26 until August 7 2022 in New York’s Flat Iron district.
For more information, visit saudi100brands.nyc
Lead Image Courtesy Instagram/ @saudi100brands