From elevated to street wear to ethical luxury. The Saudi fashion scene has you covered on all ends of the landscape. Manifesting creativity that knows no parameters, brands from the kingdom are taking the reigns in the industry.
Earlier this month, Business of Fashion confirmed that Riyadh-based brands 1886 and Abadia secured international funding in New York City. Hosted by the Saudi Fashion Commission, a roadshow in the fashion capital attracted rounds of international investors. Which is unsurprising considering the forecasted $32 billion Saudi’s burgeoning fashion industry is estimated to amount to by 2025.
A new milestone for the nation, its first international investor in its fashion sector is Turmeric Capital, who are bearing witness to Saudi’s uncompromising growth. The chairman Ravi Thakra even telling Arabian Business, “A decade from now, I believe books will be written about the colossal changes as Saudi increases its economic presence across Asia.”
So, what exactly is the story behind 1886 and Abaida? GRAZIA does a little dive into the unquestionably outstanding brands.
CREATE THE FUTURE
A brand that started in a college dorm room by two friends who were brimming with inspiration from pop culture, human interaction and the future. Saudi entrepreneurs Fahad Al-Jomiah and Khalid Al-Jammaz launched 1886 in 2016 as an ode to the human mind and the realities it can manifest.
From laid back silhouettes to loud asymmetrical pieces, this brand mastered the art of understated noise. Pioneering the regions elevated street wear trend movement, 1886 goes beyond creating clothing that exude subdued boldness. They integrate their heritage and customs through their art, paying their respects to the city that raised them. They create pieces that infuse the simmering buzz of Riyadh’s streets, the intricate advancements of technology and the creativity human minds manifest.
Using fashion to take leaps in culture and society, 1886 creates to evolve.
Ingrained in mission
As for Abadia, it’s a women-led, ethical luxury brand that continues up the road of elevation. Committed to doing work that adds value, Abadia is a contemporary label with a devotion to their values. Invigorated by Bangledesh’s Raza Plaza atrocity in 2013, the non-profit fellow turned CEO Shahd AlShehail founded the brand. And what she created has not intention over glossing over her mission. Ingrained at every step of AlShehail’s process, as a business owner and a creative, is mindfulness. From using deadstock fabrics, collaborating with female artisans from the Arabian Peninsula, to re-purposing/up-cycling unused material and beyond.
Her pieces blend the structured attributes of masculinity and the effortless flows of feminity. Produicng modern yet timeless pieces that build a wardrobe that emphasises comfort and ethicality. Flowy, lightweight pieces dominate the website as elements of a structured anatomy peek through certain sections.
In an ever-growing industry, that grasping at trends, profits and growth, AlShehail paves her own lane. Building a brand from what built her, her work echoes her DNA.
