Saudi designers take their talents to New York
Princess Reema opens fashion exhibition reflecting the Kingdom’s culture and heritage
Fashion, handbags and jewelry by 100 Saudi designers have gone on show at a new exhibition in New York aimed at reflecting the Kingdom’s culture and heritage.
The two-week exhibition in the city’s iconic Flatiron District was opened by Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the US.
“The collections that you see here are inspired by Arabia, but they are made for the world,” Princess Reema told guests at the opening ceremony.
“Creativity is not born in one country. Culture is not defined by a border. And what you’re about to see is a symbol that has nothing to do with politics, that has nothing to do with governments, but has everything to do with the human spirit.”
The designers at the exhibition were selected from a pool of 1,500 that was whittled down to the top 100 based on the uniqueness and cultural relevance of their pieces. Among them are the Al-Haqbani sisters, who established the Loodyana brand of luxurious kaftans and ready-to-wear evening dresses in Jeddah in 2001.
“We were so excited to go through a new experience,” Abeer Al-Haqbani told Arab News. “We are making history today.”
The Loodyana design highlighted at the exhibition is a black off-theshoulder dress with a set of embroidered gloves. “Women are the backbone of the family. Our gown design is the beautiful armor that protects the delicate spirit of the woman inside the dress,” Al-Haqbani said.
The sisters drew inspiration for the dress from memories of family gatherings in the Saudi mountains while they were growing up.
“The hard outline of the distant mountains is the inspiration behind the A-line shape of the gown design,” Al-Haqbani said.