If you follow Alaa Balkhy on social media, you will find that she is more than just a fashion influencer. Based between Jeddah and New York, this Saudi Arabian trailblazer has graced the covers of magazines, including Vogue Arabia, for the fact that she is not only highly stylish, but well-travelled and a budding entrepreneur.
Now launching her very own fashion line, she focuses her brand’s aesthetic on clothes that will appeal to someone with a contemporary flare for fashion as the line boasts floaty silhouettes and “vintage-modern” pieces in luxe fabrications including satin, taffeta, silk and crepe.
Balkhy also pays homage to her heritage and hometown through her Resort 2019 collection with her use of colours, including coral hues that resonate with her native home, Jeddah. Not only does the Instagram star hope to make a success of her own clothing line, but also hopes to inspire and empower local talent, by curating their collections too.
Speaking to Vogue Arabia, Alaa spoke of the narrative and inspiration behind her collection, “I wanted to create pieces that were more me now – articles that were versatile to wear in both Jeddah and New York since I’m based between both cities.” Continuing with, “This collection is also an inspiration from my own vintage closet, and pieces I’ve been collecting throughout my years of living in New York. I also wanted to have this collection as an ode to Jeddah, the city where I feel at most home. We embroidered Jeddah’s famous roundabouts on the slip dresses. I decided that I wanted the pieces to be made in Saudi Arabia and that the first collection was to be shot in Jeddah by an all-woman team.”
Balkhy also told of her design process and how ethical sourcing remains an important factor to her, “I wanted to create something slowly and locally with limited edition pieces that were one of a kind. I also wanted to know things like who the person that made my clothes was, and where the fabric was sourced from.”
The sensational Saudi cover star envisions that a woman who “has a thing for vintage design and extravagant fabric,” will be the perfect kind to don her label.
