Fashion merged with technology at Riyadh Fashion Week

Thirty homegrown Saudi-born brands took over the runway at the recently concluded Riyadh Fashion Week, which was a unique showcase of tradition merging with modernity.

In a statement, Burak Çakmak, CEO of Saudi Fashion Commission said, “Saudi fashion brands have already participated in Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks to showcase their talent on the global stage, impressing fashion professionals and enthusiasts around the world. For the first time ever, we invited the fashion community to our home as Saudi Arabia is on its way to becoming the next international fashion destination.”

What made the show even more unique is the way fashion merged with technology through an augmented reality (AR) exhibition called TASAWAR brought to life by Snapchat, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Saudi Fashion Commission.

TASAWAR, which means “imagine” in Arabic, took the imagination of every visitor on a journey that enriched the senses. A world where the beauty of fashion design met the power of AR technology in a series of captivating experiences and activations. The exhibition delivered an immersive guest-journey featuring designer showrooms, virtual runways, dress try-ons, headpiece selfie lenses and more.

Commenting on the partnership, Noha Kattan, Deputy Minister of National Partnerships and Development at the Ministry of Culture said, “The Ministry of Culture is dedicated to enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors in addition to driving cultural exchange. The TASAWARexhibition, which is considered a key outcome of our strong partnership with Snap Inc., marks a significant stride forward in enhancing the national cultural scene and propelling the fashion industry into new horizons by integrating it with the world of technology.”

Meanwhile, with over 85% of users in KSA interacting with lenses everyday, Snapchat’s mission is to unlock creative possibilities through AR, and help make the fashion industry even more personalised, accessible and convenient. With its innovative approach of leveraging AR, TASAWAR showcased the way people can experience fashion and beauty.

“Snapchat, deeply ingrained in the daily lives of Saudis, boasts over 22 million monthly users who use the platform to easily and authentically connect with those who matter most to them. This responsibility drives us to give back to the community and actively support the flourishing local talent, the dynamic creative scene as well as the booming business ecosystem. This is precisely what we are achieving through TASAWAR, we’re empowering the next generation of Saudi designers and brands that are leading the way in the digital transformation at play in Saudi Arabia by leveraging our AR technology and our ecosystem of local partners and creators,” added Abdulla Alhammadi, Regional Business Lead at Snap Inc.