BY YANA MURASH AND JANELLE VALES-YASAY
Get to know four Saudi brands and the empowered, creative and beautiful women behind them.
Saudi fashion and accessories designers continuously break the mold and put their brands out there, not only in the local market, but also in the international arena as well. The makers and designers behind the brands Aseel, Naïve, Mine and Jwalher talk about their beginnings, inspirations, and plans. With a rich culture, noteworthy history, vast ideas, modern designs, and the support from Saudi Vision 2030, these designers see a brighter and livelier future for their dreams and goals.
ASEEL COLLECTION
Sisters Aseel and Suha Al Zamel are inspired by the beauty of every day and they see it in the simplest things around, thus, they wanted to bring this beauty through their collections of abayas, coats, jalabiya, and dresses. The sisters love fashion and trends from a young age with their mother as their role mother. “She is elegant and has a high taste in fashion. She also has an eye for good fabric.”
Aseel Collection started in 2014. “We felt the need for fashion similar to European brands to come to Saudi Arabia. We wanted a brand to represent us,” the sisters said. Their inspiration comes from their surroundings, from something as simple as a book they read, a city they visited, or a person they met along the way. They also design for the elegant and charming woman who celebrates life and her femininity. Their designs are perfect for every day wear.
“Our brand moves away from the stereotypical image of the traditional abaya. We’re moving towards pastel colors and we’re introducing modern touches,” they answered when asked what makes their creations unique. The combination of formal suits and the abaya ushers in modernity yet preserves the Saudi identity. Their collection is available in their own website; some of their pieces are available in Harvey Nichols Riyadh and Mira Y Mano. The brand has participated in exhibitions in Riyadh, Kuwait, Dubai, and Doha. With their love for art and fashion, they believe that the Saudi women like them influence international fashion with refined taste and appearance. The development of the abaya has come a long way and it has contributed to the introduction of Arabic fashion to the world.
With the Saudi Vision 2030, they believe that the Kingdom is witnessing great changes in a lot of fields including fashion with its support and encouragement for Saudi fashion designers. “We are proud that we are two Saudi designers representing the Kingdom,” the sisters said. “We are open to opportunities like new collaborations and entrance to the world of jewelry. We aspire to push Saudi designs to the highest level in the fashion world.”
Aseel Collection
Price Range: SR 1500 – SR 5000
IG: @aseelcollection
NAÏVE LABEL
The book Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso inspired Mary Melkumyan. She saw the book and thought highly of it. “I read and finished the book during my 8-hour flight. The sentence ‘An advantage of being naïve is being able to believe in oneself when no one else will,” this is where Naïve The Label came from. The brand is all about minimalism, comfort and elegance which suit powerful women, women who continuously grow and educate themselves regardless of the obstacles in life and their social and marital status. Naïve The Label is for the women who doesn’t know her full potential yet but are on their way to embracing herself and making her dreams come true.
Naïve abayas and kimonos are handmade by women for women. Mary shares, “We pay attention to details and the quality of our work. Because we are against overproduction and the harm that it brings to the planet, me and my professional team always ensure to make limited quantities of each design to contribute to the environment’s protection and also to keep our collection exclusive to customers.” Some of Naïve’s bestseller is their oversized pinstripe abaya in monochrome colors that’s easy to wear for work, errands, or fancy events. They are available in Mira Y Mano Boutique in Riyadh.
Mary sees Naïve as a more recognized and appreciated fashion line in the following years. “I believe in constant growth, new strategies, and the ability to leave old ideas and move forward with new ones,” she said. She also sees the brand bringing together like-minded women and creating a stronger community around Naïve.
For the past few years, changes in the Kingdom have also ushered in changes in its fashion industry. Transformations in social norms boosted people’s confidence and have a big impact on how everyone dresses in Saudi Arabia today. Mary noticed a new wave of self-expression using different garments, shapes, prints and colors. “Black is no longer the only option!” Mary also loves seeing emerging Saudi designers that deliver their message and vision through their art and design and conquer new heights in the industry. “Saudi Arabia’s fashion industry is still in its blossoming stage and buying/supporting local brands is very important for the region’s designers and artists to grow and be widely recognized. Their potential is undeniable!”
Naïve The Label
Price Range: SR 1000 – SR 2000
IG: @naivethelabel
MINE
Noor Zahid met Meriem Tamerzizt in 2017 and from there, a friendship and an accessories line flourished. These two friends launched the brand Mine in February 2019. Noor has a background in jewelry design, Arabic calligraphy, fashion buying and marketing while Meriem is into corporate strategy, finance, and business transformation. Her family is in the leather business as well. These became the perfect foundation to Mine.
Their aim in creating Mine is to make something for everyone. “Our key values are versatility, practicality, and being true to your own personal style. We are in what is considered “slow fashion” industry which makes our line timeless yet ever-changing. We try to always have items that are made in Saudi Arabia. We support local talents and work with local NGOs to support women in Saudi Arabia.” Mine is often identified as a Saudi brand but in fact, it’s “pan-Arab”.
This year, the brand focused more in their “Made in KSA” line. Their embroidered totes and zipper pouches are must-haves in the Kingdom. Their small pouches have also been in demand. “We source local fabrics, sew and embroider the items in local factories and incorporate Arabic calligraphy and local culture in most of our designs,” they shared. Their products are available in Mira Y Mano and Hub 27.1.2 in Riyadh and Home Grown Market, Grey Collective and The Concept Story in Jeddah. While their products are gaining popularity, Noor and Meriem take each day as it comes. They like that they are in a relatively niche field that is growing slowly and organically. “We love to get feedback from our customers, friends, and resellers. We often listen and evolve through reviews and demands, and our own styles, moods, and circumstances surrounding us.”
They believe that the art world in the Kingdom is flourishing and the Kingdom might become an international hub for fashion, art, and expression soon. While waiting for more establishments and manufacturing factories to enable designers to produce more locally and quickly, Noor and Meriem are currently enjoying buying from and supporting fellow Saudi brands.
MINE Bags and Accessories
Price Range: SR 70 – SR 2200
Contact No.: +966—59-0590780
IG: @mineofficially
JWAHER JEWELS
Everyone knows that Saudi Arabia is the land of gold. “Saudi gold” remained to be the preferred gift for any occasion. This demand in the market and her passion for jewelries inspired Sara Al Sudairy to establish Jwaher Jewels in 2018.
When she came up with Jwaher Jewels, she had busy people in mind: that person who needs to buy a gift or have a nice piece of jewelry but has little time to shop. “Our pieces, made of gold, diamonds, and gemstones have eye-catching designs focused on being unique and timeless,” Sara said. Their bestselling items are the heartleaf earrings and the Saudi design necklace. “I love my brand and have strong hopes for it in both the short and long term. One of our main goals is to be the leading online jewelry store in the world. Jwaher Jewels has forged its strong online presence through their website.
Sara believes that the Kingdom has seen major developments in entrepreneurship. Small business development is a major factor in the Saudi Vision 2030. It helps enable more people to enter businesses and this in turn help in making the economy stronger. In particular, she sees this as a great start to encouraging Saudi women to enter the jewelry market. “Saudi women are considered among the most fashionable in the world. Saudi women entering the jewelry market means more fashionable avenues to venture into and more styles to discover.”
Jwaher Jewels
Price Range: SR 1000 – SR 7000
IG: @jwaherjewelsksa
