Sofana Rabea Dahlan, CEO and Founder of Tashkeil, showing collections from Middle East artists exposed at Tanween Boutique to students from the Academy of Art University who are visiting Saudi Arabia for Harvey Nichols Design Project. Roberta Fedele Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Six students from the San Francisco Academy of Art University's (AAU) School of Fashion are currently visiting the Kingdom and meeting local fashion designers, artists, businesswomen, students and social activists as part of a collaborative project between head of ALFA International Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan and School of Fashion directors Gladys Perint Palmer and Simon Ungless. Accompanied in their tour throughout the Kingdom by Princess Reema and AAU Assistant Director of Fashion Michael Carbaugh, these students are here to create an exclusive collection inspired by the modern Saudi women that will be presented at the 2013 Graduation Fashion Show in San Francisco and showcased at the Harvey Nichols department store in Riyadh, owned and managed by the princess. Princess Reema said: “When Palmer invited me to the 2012 Graduation Fashion Show in San Francisco last May, I was excited by the idea of meeting some of the many young Saudis that are studying there. “My aim was to encourage them to come back to the Kingdom to apply their skills and talents. “But once I witnessed the incredibly inspiring creativity of the entire student community, I also thought of bringing to Saudi Arabia talented foreign designers. “These people are entering the world's fashion industry without knowing much about our world and traditions, even though Saudi women and in general Middle Eastern women are large consumers of international fashion goods. “Students in the US are seeing Saudi women out of their context and I thought that a trip to Saudi Arabia could help them break certain stereotypes and design products catching the essence of who they are and how they live. “The idea of having a fresh and external perspective on Saudi lifestyles was also very appealing.” Since arriving on Nov. 17, the students visited Jeddah and are spending the last few days of their stay in Riyadh and the Asir region to experience a mix of Saudi Arabia's modern and traditional flavors from the coastal area of the Red Sea, the central region dominated by the desert and the mountainous zone of the south, explained Princess Reema. She added: “In each region they are meeting artists, fashion design students and women of our society from businesswomen and social activists to housewives and mothers. “They are also doing a tour of all the independent boutiques and the established stores so that they can really gauge between the young and upcoming designers and a more traditional retail environment. “I want them to understand what people are buying and looking for.” During their three-day stay in Jeddah, the students visited the small and trendy showroom owned by young Saudi entrepreneur Sofana Rabea Dahlan who founded three years ago Tashkeil, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting and offering mentorship to new Middle Eastern designers.
Dahlan shared with students the story of how she started Tashkeil and showed them collections of 19 emerging Middle East designers who exposed their products in her showroom on the occasion of her recent “Backstage” event. The group's trip to Jeddah included a tour of the old town with its colorful market, a traditional Arabic meal at Al-Nakheel restaurant, visits to Dar Hekma University, Niche Arabia Boutique and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a presentation by the Khadijah Bint Khowailid Center on the evolution of Saudi women's role in the country's political and economic landscape. The students wrote on the Fashion School's online daily: “It was extremely interesting to see how far the country has come on women's issues in just a few short years. “Thanks in large part to the center, women in Saudi are now allowed to hold office, hold the title of chief executive officer of a company, and are experiencing fairer practices in the workplace. “In Jeddah's old town, stands and stalls are teeming with spices, scarves and fabrics. Though many of the buildings were in various states of disrepair, they provided inspiration at every turn – from intricate window shutters and vibrant colors to beautifully embellished doors.” The students are currently visiting Riyadh. To find out more about the trip, follow their travel journal at www.fashionschooldaily.com/index.php/tag/princess-reema-bandar-al-saud/
