Fashion at the Saudi Cup

For the 2020 Saudi Cup horse race, the Fashion Commission created a Dress Code to encourage today’s attendees to look to the past, to Saudi’s rich traditions in heritage costume, for their fashion inspiration. The Fashion Commission collaborated with Saudi heritage fashion expert and Professor of Traditional Costumes and Textiles at Princess Noura University in Riyadh, Dr. Laila Albassam, and Riyadh-based freelance illustrator Norah Sahman. The Dress Code showcased a range of traditional looks from around the Kingdom, with ideas about how these might be adapted or interpreted by modern-day wearers. The Saudi Cup took place on 19 and 20 February in Riyadh and, with a prize pool of more than US$30m, including a prize of US$20m for the winner of the Saudi Cup headline race, was set to attract some of the international racing community’s greatest talent and enthusiasts. Despite the constraints in numbers related to the pandemic, the attendees – both men and women – embraced the Fashion Commissoin Dress Code and the result was a visual spectacle enjoyed by all, and reported throughout national and international media. Sector Development Director at the Fashion Commissions, HH Princess Nourah bint Faisal al Saud commented: “It has been very rewarding to see so many attendees to the Saudi Cup this weekend put great effort into their outfits all inspired by the Kingdom’s rich heritage fashions! The Fashion Commission’s Dress Code feels like it’s renewing our enthusiasm to embrace the future by celebrating the past. The Fashion Commission looks forward to sharing more when we collaborate next year as well.”