Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, May 11, 2025

The rise of Saudi streetwear to a global market

The recent rise of streetwear has been apparent worldwide, originating from diverse music scenes. As each culture adds its particular flare to the style, Saudi has been slowly developing its own.
At the Fashion Commission’s leading industry expo, Fashion Futures, this past weekend, experts and retail innovators discussed the rise of the trend within the region and its evolution from niche to mainstream. From urban abayas to historically rooted prints, Saudi has been evolving its look from traditional regalia to heritage chic.

“Personal style is very important to a Saudi, and I think that translates directly into the way we dress up…There’s a certain personality in the way that we dress,” Ahmed Al-Ammary said.

Al-Ammary, more commonly known as “Baloo,” is the CCO of MDLBEAST, the Saudi-based entertainment company quickly becoming one of the world’s biggest music festivals.

He launched his first T-shirt brand, 9sicksick, alongside his partners Anmar Madani and Ibraheem Abbar, focusing on local pop culture.

As MDLBEAST has garnered international attention, Al-Ammary has found that festival ecosystems and fashion styles always interlink, like the all-black ensembles of the techno scene and the bohemian theme at Coachella.

Through his role at the company, he worked on developing the recently launched BANI BEAST, a festival-inspired clothing line reimagining traditional Saudi attire. During the festival, which takes place annually in December, the company noticed the eventgoers dressed in heavy jackets and farwas, traditional coats in the Saudi and Gulf areas, to combat the cold weather.

“We saw that people made the extra effort and started to pair things that were traditional wear and general streetwear. That inspired the idea of developing Bani Beast. (It’s) basically a combination of prints, and we have something that we call modulate farwa.

“It comes in three different pieces that you can wear separately, or you can put two together, or you can pull up a few strings and create a new shape with it.

The idea was to give it some versatility, and that’s what makes fashion flow. It’s the ability to change it up and refresh it every time you wear it,” Al-Ammary said.

Mohammed Bajbaa, founder of the fashion brand Proud Angeles and consultancy firm Proud X, launched the clothing company as a retailer and transformed it into its own brand in 2020 with an ethos of bridging cultures.

The entrepreneur shared that from a consultant’s standpoint, there is a huge gap in understanding how the industry works. He hopes that these multidisciplinary styles bring along tangible growth to the fashion community.

“I’m optimistic, and I hope in the future that we don’t just have fashion brands, we have more solutions for those brands that build a whole ecosystem, from education resources to trade shows, and experts around to work with them,” Bajbaa said.

Mohammed Khoja, founder of Hindamme, which contributes to the fashion and cultural landscape in Saudi Arabia by innovating traditional styles and incorporating Western silhouettes, said:

“The main driving force was to create representation, really, because I didn’t see enough of our culture or something that I connected with within contemporary design.

“I feel like I’ve been able to…contribute by injecting elements that represent us as Saudis, things that we connect with, from our heritage, from our upbringing, and translating that into design and fashion,” Khoja said.

The ready-to-wear luxury label’s name directly translates to the old Arabic word for possessing perfect harmony. Indeed, it does just that by creating a dialogue through its East-meets-West philosophy, featuring Arabic calligraphy motifs, ancient Saudi palettes, and design collaborations with local and international creatives.

While many upcoming street-style brands are inevitably in direct competition, the designer noted that each brings its own twist under a common identity.

Mahmoud Sedani, fashion blogger, said: “A friend of mine was saying that when (Saudi) brands were approaching, one of their aims was…to be international.

She said something super interesting, which I never thought of: ‘Who says we’re not international?’ I think that’s so incredible to hear because I feel for so many years, we’ve cut ourselves short.”

The conversation raised an important question: Who decides how much recognition an industry needs to become a global player?

“I think it’s a question of relevance. When you’re relevant to the community that you’re in and you speak to them in your design, that actually creates that platform for you to get up to that international level,” Al-Ammary said.

Khoja shared that while Saudi is in the process of bridging cultures, the Kingdom has been at a historical disadvantage.

“(We’ve been) seen as buyers rather than creatives, so we’re not really part of that conversation. But it is starting to shift with initiatives like Fashion Futures.

They are bridging that divide,” he said.

These local heroes agreed that Saudi has yet to see the peak of creativity within the industry — and much is yet to come.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Warren Buffett to Step Down as Berkshire CEO After Nearly 60 Years
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome as World Leaders Attend Funeral
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Worldwide Markets Decline as U.S.-China Trade Frictions Intensify
OpenAI Lands Unprecedented $40 Billion Investment
Removing the Political Adversary is Dismantling What's Remaining of Turkey's Economy.
Ex-FIFA President and French Football Icon Acquitted of Corruption Allegations
White House Investigates Security Breach After Journalist Accidentally Added to Secret Yemen Strike Chat
Volunteers in Jeddah Ensure No One Goes Hungry During Ramadan Iftar
New Restaurant Opens in Makkah's Iconic Clock Tower for Ramadan Iftar
Saudi Arabia's Project Masam Removes 552 Houthi Mines in Yemen
Saudi Arabia Fines Over 400 Foreign Trucks for Regulatory Violations
Saudi National Campaign for Charitable Work Reports Significant Donations in Ramadan
Historic Al-Hosn Al-Asfal Mosque Restored in Asir as Part of National Heritage Initiative
KSrelief Expands Humanitarian Efforts in Syria, Sudan, and Lebanon
Saudi Arabia Advocates for Global Water Cooperation at Forum
Madinah Governor Tours Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah
Saudi Foreign Minister in Cairo to Lead Meeting on Gaza Developments
Recognition of Saudi and Pakistani Entrepreneurs at Riyadh Ceremony
UAE Announces $1.4 Trillion Investment Plan in the United States
Saudi Arabia Innovates in Soil Quality and Water Conservation
Governor of Taif Engages with Rose and Aromatic Plants Cooperative
Saudi Food and Drug Authority Enhances Preparations for Hajj Season
Saudi Arabia Distributes Aid to Yemen and Romania
Restoration of Historic Al-Qalaah Mosque in Riyadh Underlines Heritage Preservation Efforts
Saudi Arabia Arrests Over 25,000 for Immigration Violations in One Week
UAE’s ADQ and Energy Capital Partners Announce $25 Billion Energy Venture in the U.S.
KSrelief Launches Extensive Ramadan Food Aid Initiative
Ramadan Celebrations Revitalize Historic Jeddah
Makkah Authorities Urge Worshippers to Follow Crowd Management Guidelines
Direct Flights Between Dammam and Damascus Reestablished for Syrian Residents
Saudi Main Index Rises to Close at 11,760 Amid Mixed Market Performance
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch Visits Prophet's Mosque in Madinah
×