Four scholarships for Saudis announced at Fashion Futures launch

Deputy Minister of Culture Hamed Bin Muhammad Fayez inaugurated Fashion Futures event on Tuesday, emphasizing the #MinistryOfCulture’s commitment to develop the fashion sector in the Kingdom as one of the 16 subsectors supported by the ministry.

At the launch of Fashion Futures, Fayez announced the start of a new full academic scholarship for four Saudi fashion designers at leading fashion school Parsons, The New School, in New York City, for the coming five years.

Through Fashion Futures, the Ministry of Culture has provided the opportunity to 100 Saudi designers, 180 Saudi fashion enthusiasts and 40 students to contribute to the success and preparation of the event. This follows the Ministry’s goal of empowering Saudi talents.

The event will cover the most recent developments in the field of fashion with the participation of some of the most prominent fashion designers.

The “Fashion Futures” event, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, being organized by the Ministry of Culture has kicked off on Tuesday at the Culture Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, in the presence of Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the US, Deputy Minister of Culture Hamed Bin Muhammad Fayez, Princess Noorah Bint Faisal, and an elite of international and Saudi fashion experts.

Fayez said: “Parsons is considered to be one of the leading fashion schools in the world. I cannot describe our enthusiasm to give the opportunity to Saudi fashion designers to study and learn from the best people in this field and enable them to contribute to the world of fashion design, which is ever-changing and developing with their inspiring ideas.”

Speaking on the occasion, Princess Noorah Bint Faisal, adviser at the Ministry of Culture, welcomed the event’s guests, including designers and people interested in fashion. She said that the “Fashion Futures” event, including its workshop sessions, would be relied on in developing the fashion sector in the Kingdom.

A number of talented Saudis and graduates from top fashion universities around the world will join international speakers to discuss key topics in the sector.

The event will also highlight topics related to the establishment and management of fashion business, and will highlight the most prominent Saudi talents in the field of fashion design.

Earlier, Ministry of Culture spokesperson Abdul Karim Al-Humaid explained that organizing an event such as "Fashion Futures" demonstrates the ministry's commitment to the development of the cultural sector, which is witnessing unprecedented progress in the Kingdom, and enhances the process of international cultural exchange by attracting a group of experts in the fashion sector from different countries around the world.

The “Fashion Futures” event will last for three days. Its agenda includes seminars, panel discussions and workshops on the future of the fashion industry in the Kingdom and the world.

The first day of the event witnessed a program replete with activities, lectures and dialogue sessions moderated by top experts in the fashion sector.

Group President of LMVH Ravi Thakran, started the first day’s activities with the main speech that focused on fashion as an international industry. Others who will contribute to the first day’s activities include Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen and Holition CEO and co-founder Jonathan Chippendale.

This was followed by a discussion panel focusing on the importance of building a commercial reputation in the Instagram age, moderated by CEO of Byronesque Jill Linton.

Then each of CEO of Amlani Consulting Group Rahim Amlani, Creativity Director of All Saints Will Bill, founder of OBCM Oliver Borgeous contributed to the discussion, focusing on developing communication in the fashion sector.

Scheduled for Tuesday are an introduction to Saudi fashion speech by Princess Reema bint Bandar Bin Sultan, a keynote speech by renowned model Halima Aden, and a digital keynote by SSENSE co-founder and CEO Rami Atallah, among many more.

The first day’s program concluded with an interview with Bob Colachio, fashion expert and owner of Deep Visions that have inspired young talents and entrepreneurs.

Fashion design students of four Saudi education institutions — Dar Al-Hikmah, Princess Norah, and Umm Al-Qura universities and the Skills and Arts Institute — have participated in the art production works in all the stages.

They have also been given the opportunity to gain knowledge directly and work alongside the best international experts in the fields of fashion.