Saudi Arabia held its first fashion show featuring swimsuit models, a pushing step in the country, according to the “SEE” website.
The event occurred on the second day of the inaugural Red Sea Fashion Week at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort, situated off Saudi Arabia’s western coast.
The resort is part of Red Sea Global, one of the so-called giga-projects at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 social and economic reform program overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
It featured the work of Moroccan designer Yasmina Qanzal and includes mostly one-piece suits in shades of red, beige, and blue. Most models had exposed shoulders, and some had their midriffs partially visible.
Prince Mohammed, who became the first in line to the throne in 2017, has initiated a series of social reforms in the kingdom, including sidelining stick-wielding religious police, reintroducing cinemas, and organizing mixed-gender music festivals.
They have coincided with ramped-up repression targeting dissent, including from conservative clerics who might protest such moves.
The fashion industry, a burgeoning sector in Saudi Arabia, contributed a substantial US$12.5 billion, or 1.4 percent of the national GDP, in 2022. This industry also provided employment to a significant 230,000 people, according to a report published last year by the official Saudi Fashion Commission.
