On February 16, the Saudi Arabian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will host a fashion show to honor the Kingdom’s designers.
Homegrown labels Arwa Al-Banawi, Tima Abid, and Abadia will be featured during the event, which is organized in partnership with the Saudi Fashion Commission.Ten pieces from each brand’s most recent collections will be on display.
Al-Banawi has established herself as one of her generation’s most innovative designers in recent years. She works out of her design studios in Jeddah and Dubai to bring together eastern and western ideas, blending traditional tailoring with current perspectives.
Abid established her own womenswear label 18 years ago. During Paris Haute Couture Week in 2020, the Jeddah-born couturiere debuted her first collection. She’s dressed some of the region’s biggest names since then, including Assala Nasri and Balqees Fathi.
Meanwhile, the Saudi label Abadia, based in Dubai, bills itself as “ethical luxury.” Shahd Al-Shehail and her aunt, Naeema Al-Shehail, co-founded the family-owned brand with the goal of empowering and supporting Saudi women craftsmen by incorporating traditional crafts like sadu (weaving) and naqda (drawing thin metallic threads through cloth) into their creations.
