Saudi Arabia will make history next month by hosting the first Arab Fashion Week. Princess Noura Bint Faisal, the honouree president of the Arab Fashion Council (AFC), announced the news on Monday this week.
Arab Fashion Week. Image courtesy of AFC
The first event in Saudi will be held from March 26 to 31 in Riyadh’s eco-friendly Apex Centre, designed by the late Iraqi-British architect, Zaha Hadid.
The AFC has also made plans for a second fashion week scheduled for October, just in time for the release of the spring/summer 2019 collections.
The arrival of Arab Fashion Week comes as a result of recent developments to create a long-term sustainable fashion infrastructure across the Arab states. There is hope that a strategic partnership with the British Fashion Council (BFC) will work towards providing more opportunities for London-based designers to break into the Arab market.
The AFC represents 22 countries across the Arab world and has recently set up an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a statement discussing its partnership with BFC, Princess Noura Bint Faisal said, “The history and trajectory of the BFC goes hand in hand with what we are trying to achieve – nurturing young talent and adopting an international vision.”