Fashion Show Without Any Models In Saudi Arabia Is Social Media Gold

Videos of a model-less fashion show in Saudi Arabia have caused a social media stir with people ridiculing it online. The “ghost fashion show” which took place Wednesday replaced the usual six-foot-tall fashion models with flying robots.

Clothes and accessories from top designers including Dolce & Gabbana sailed down the runway hanging from a drone, reported the New Arab.

The event organizers said this was the first time a drone was used for a fashion show in the kingdom, while Twitter rebranded it as “fashion for ghosts.” The audiences were restricted to females and there was a strict social media ban.

The show surprised and confused many in the room. Though it gave a reason for some to question crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud’s "liberalizing" reforms, others were happy as it helped women "escape such stages."

The ultra-conservative kingdom hosted its first ever fashion week organized by the Arab Fashion Council in Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, in April, which was held in the presence of fashion legends like Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli. However, male fashion designers were not allowed backstage even at their own shows.

It was “an amazing opportunity to shift the disconnect in the minds of outsiders about Saudi women, how they design and how they dress. Women here have been waiting for years for a time to shine,” Marriam Mossalli, a luxury consultant in Jeddah, said then, reported the New York Times.

Arwa Al-Banawi, a Saudi designer in Dubai said, “It is so important for us that we have our own fashion week — historically I have always shown in Dubai or Paris but as a Saudi woman I really wanted to be a part of this moment.”

The ticket sales, however, remained low due to little marketing. Some brands too pulled out of the event, further affecting the sales.

“The organizers need to align their many story lines and just tell the truth. It totally sends out the wrong message at an important time for us, and that is disappointing given all the design talent we have amassed here this week,” Mossalli said.

The crown prince has been taking inspiration from smaller Gulf neighbours to bring in an economic and social reform in the country and making it a dynamic place for business, hospitality and leisure.

He has also eased social restrictions including allowing women to drive and lifting ban on cinemas.

Apart from the fashion show, the kingdom also had its first-ever card game tournament in Riyadh in April, offering a total prize of riyals $270,000 for the top four teams.

In February, General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia announced it will stage more than 5,000 festivals and public concerts in 2018, which is also one of the firsts in the kingdom.

Despite the reforms, women in the kingdom still abide by guardianship laws, which gives the male relatives the power to make integral decisions in their lives.