Saudi creatives take international center stage presenting their products to a global audience at Fashion Futures event in Riyadh, which is hosted by the Saudi Fashion Commission.
Additionally, professionals and influencers will have the chance to debate important topics relating to the fashion industry, such as sustainability, diversity, entrepreneurship, and innovation, at the conference, which is being hosted at Riyadh's City Hub.
The three-day conference also includes panel discussions, masterclasses, seminars, retail activations, and pop-up events throughout the capital along with a prominent lineup of regional and worldwide speakers.
Talks with Saudi fashion designer Mohammed Ashi, whose studio clothes well-known figures such singers Beyonce and Lady Gaga, were part of the opening night festivities.
The four key topics of this year’s event are promoting sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation, and diversity and culture.
Addressing the conference, Italian designer Stella Jean said: “Saudi Arabia is creating opportunities, like this one: Mentorships, scholarships, shows, but it takes a village. Don’t be intimidated by giant fashion conglomerates; when you have a true story, that’s the strongest tool.”
An advocate for racial and cultural diversity in the fashion industry, Jean vowed not to participate in Milan Fashion Week unless there were more black designers on the runway. She returned to the catwalk in September along with 15 other black, native, and ethnic designers.
Emerging Saudi designers that have participated in commission projects, such as the Saudi 100 and Intermix residency designs, also have their creations on display at Fashion Futures.
Furthermore, the Fashion Commission is also conducting a pop-up shop at U Walk in Riyadh and a Swap Shop in partnership with YOOX Net-a-Porter from now until November 24 in an effort to promote sustainability and the crucial dialogues surrounding it.
The Future Fabrics Expo has been showcasing interactive textiles, cutting-edge materials and technologies, and readily available sustainable fabrics concurrently with the conference's schedule.
The Expo, the largest event in the world devoted to sustainable sourcing, aims to have a beneficial influence on the entire sector. A variety of seminars and lectures are included that cover topics like the local and global future of fashion, conscious consumption, the effects of the textile industry, and digital transformation and the metaverse.
In order to offer cutting-edge masterclasses and foster innovation and collaboration, the event has teamed with the Chalhoub Group's Greenhouse business setting, the Italian Academy of Costume and Fashion, and the Istituto Marangoni fashion design school.
The Fashion Commission’s chief executive officer, Burak Cakmak, shared with Arab News that their larger schedule of seminars and workshops is already fully booked demonstrating the need to do more when people seek practical skills that go beyond understanding the big picture.
