The Kingdom celebrates Foundation Day on February 22 to commemorate the establishment of the first Saudi state. Jelbab, the clothing label founded by Saudi fashion designer Mona Al-Furayan, has unveiled a new Founder Day collection.
Two materials were the collection’s mainstays, consisting of tulle fabric that is used to construct the women’s Jelbab, a long, loose-fitting outer garment that conceals the body, and the men's gold and black Eqal Al-Moqassab headband, both of which are the most significant components that form the foundation of Saudi tradition.
Speaking to Arab News Al-Furayan said, “In the Founding Day collection, we relied on the two most important materials that I see as the basis of our heritage, which is the tulle fabric and the Eqal Al-Moqassab headband for men. We used it in a new way … as the material is elegant and has become popular even though it is old in the Saudi heritage.” She added, “We used the headband in a way that it is worn on a kaftan. We tried to develop it without losing its identity and giving the piece an extraordinary value.”
Al-Furayan made the decision to start her own label as a result of the interest in her garments. She stated that the motivation for creating her clothing line in 2014 was her desire to build a brand that reflected who she was. The business started off making kaftans before transitioning to evening wear.
“Four years ago, we were invited to participate in the Mercedes Fashion Show in Qatar — the biggest fashion show in the Middle East — to showcase the inaugural evening wear collection, and that was a turning point for our brand because it was a huge success.”
As the designer places a high value on consistency and quality, she takes her time while choosing the best materials and textiles for her creations. “One of our most distinguishable qualities is that we design our fabrics with … specifications unique to Jelbab. Since our inception, this is a step we have proudly adopted to create pieces worthy of a Saudi brand that inspires the world.”
To present the collection in Riyadh, the Jelbab brand has now partnered with Harvey Nichols. Al-Furayan proudly expressed, “Jelbab is associated with (the) Harvey Nichols name because the brand is one of the first Saudi brands that was displayed there (from) 2015 until today. I am very proud of that.” She asserted that her goal for this year is to establish the Saudi brand worldwide.
