The most anticipated week for fashion lovers and designers in Saudi Arabia has wrapped up its second edition. Naturally, an event like Riyadh Fashion Week is still entirely new, yet when looking at the quality of collections and ideas presented, it’s clear that there have been significant leaps and noticeable improvements. This reflects a strong eagerness to deliver excellence through the power of soft influence.

The diversity of names and collections on display brings a spirit of renewal to the week. What sets Riyadh Fashion Week apart is that sources of inspiration are bound to intersect for two reasons. The first is that the industry is still in a growth stage, making it natural to see similarities in inspiration. The second was mentioned in my article “Are We What We Wear?”

Here, I highlight some of the main sources of inspiration that appeared to overlap or connect in one way or another. Nature took the lion’s share this season. Aram presented a collection titled “Wild”, inspired by Saudi Arabia’s wildlife and spotlighting animals such as the Arabian leopard and the oryx. The designer celebrated nature through bold leopard prints and by having models wear animal head masks, giving the show a striking and distinctive character.

As for KAF by KAF, the brand explored the concept of two opposing worlds: nature and the artificial. The show opened with Sara, the first Saudi humanoid robot, walking the runway in a floral coat from the collection. The lineup featured a clear diversity of fabrics and craftsmanship, along with commercial pieces, all presented with a highly artistic touch.

Perhaps the most widely circulated image on social media and even internationally during Riyadh Fashion Week was the opening dress from Dar AlHanouf. The collection was inspired by the Red Sea Project, and the dress was designed to mirror the shape of the Red Sea, its edges adorned with red beading to represent the coral reefs.

On the other hand, the sea once again emerged as a source of inspiration in Razaan Alazzouni’s collection. Showcasing at Riyadh Fashion Week for the first time, the designer presented a collection inspired by the sea, specifically by the city of Khobar, as a tribute to the place where she grew up. The pieces employed pearls and fabric cutouts that resembled oysters as decorative elements.

The loving grandmother was also honored this week, as designer Ashwaq Al-Marshad made her debut at the event with designs inspired by her grandmother’s elegance, captured in her brown dress and al-Munikhil veil, immortalizing her style in the collection. Brown dominated the lineup alongside burgundy, adding a vintage feel. In the final segment, a model appeared in a tulle piece as a reference to the grandmother.

As for Mona AlShibel, she honored her grandmother through leather accessories such as necklaces and belts cut with laser techniques to resemble the henna patterns her grandmother used to wear. Laser cutting also appeared in several other designs, while she maintained clean tailoring and an elegant minimal aesthetic. The designer also incorporated fabric remnants from her previous collection.

Atelier Hekayat presented the collection Hôtel des Hekayat, where designers Alia and Abeer Arif used the hotel as a metaphor for life. A hotel with thirty rooms, each holding a different story; all you need to do is knock on the door to find the answer. Some doors open easily, while others remain shut as we insist on knocking, ignoring the ones already open. The brand translated this metaphor into thirty looks, each representing one of the doors. It also marked their thirtieth collection, fittingly, their lucky number.

Waad Al-Aqili presented designs with a deeply romantic and aesthetic spirit, yet behind the beauty lies a powerful story. The collection celebrated the ability to thrive despite hardship, and the power of renewal, symbolized by the lotus flower and the dragonfly.

The collection was created as a tribute to women battling cancer, with the concept reinforced through floral embroideries on bodices. A collaboration with the Zahra Association further supported this message, with part of the collection’s proceeds donated to the organization.

These overlapping sources of inspiration are certain to shape the future of Saudi fashion in the years to come.