In A Historic Move Saudi Arabia Hosts First-Ever Swimwear Fashion Show

Saudi Arabia hosted its first swimsuit fashion show on Friday, marking a significant step forward in a rather conservative country. The move was a historic one, given less than a decade ago, here women were required to wear body-covering abaya robes. As reported by AFP, The poolside show, featuring designs by Moroccan designer Yasmina Qanzal, showcased mostly one-piece swimsuits in shades of red, beige, and blue. Many models were seen in exposed shoulders, and some even showed partially visible midriffs.

Qanzal told AFP, “It’s true that this country is very conservative but we tried to show elegant swimsuits which represent the Arab world.” She called it an honour and added, “When we came here, we understood that a swimsuit fashion show in Saudi Arabia is a historic moment because it is the first time to have such an event.”

The event took place on the second day of the first-ever Red Sea Fashion Week, held at the St Regis Red Sea Resort, situated off the western coast of Saudi Arabia. The resort is a part of Red Sea Global, one of the mega-projects at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform program, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Since assuming his position as first in line to the throne in 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has initiated a series of social reforms aimed at softening Saudi Arabia’s austere image, historically influenced by a strict form of Islam known as Wahhabism.

These reforms have included reducing the influence of the religious police, who once enforced prayer times in public spaces, as well as reintroducing cinemas and organising mixed-gender music festivals. However, alongside these changes, there has been an increase in repression of dissent, including crackdowns on conservative clerics who might oppose such reforms.

According to AFP, Syrian fashion influencer Shouq Mohammed, who attended Friday’s show, remarked that the event was a natural progression given Saudi Arabia’s efforts to open up to the world and expand its fashion and tourism sectors.

In 2022, the fashion industry contributed $12.5 billion and employed 230,000 people, according to a report published by the official Saudi Fashion Commission last year.