Saudi 100 Brands

The Fashion Commission also announces its inaugural mentorship program, Saudi 100 Brands. The program will see 100 Saudi fashion designers selected to take part in a rigorous year-long, subject-matter-expert-curated intervention, led by the international fashion industry’s most experienced experts. Aimed at Saudi fashion designers and brands seeking to take their businesses to the next level, the professional development program will offer masterclasses, one-on-one mentorship, and workshops covering design and innovation, sales strategies, and exhibitions to bring about competitive business advantage. Participants will learn from an international team of experts with experience from leading fashion houses including LVMH, Kering, Valentino Groups, Chanel Limited, Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Bulgari, Camper and Swarovski; as well as educational experience from Central St Martins, Royal College of Art, Bocconi, London School of Economics, Yale and Parsons. The Saudi 100 Brands program is based on harmonizing the different needs of individuals wishing to build their brands. It covers a wide range of topics including branding, conceptualization, sales performance strategy, public relations and marketing strategy, client identification, innovation and technology, and key leadership skills. Program phases will also offer consumer-directed activities aimed at encouraging sales in the local market, the first of which will be held in Riyadh in December 2021, with e-sales outlets due to be activated in early 2022, and a wholesale campaign to stimulate international sales, also set to launch in early 2022. To achieve this, the Fashion Commission is partnering with Vogue Arabia as well as regional retailers. Vogue will not only be providing media amplification but also critical insights so that fashion brands understand how to approach editorial and use social media to best effect, as well as potentially supporting with co-branded events. Retail partner contributions will include participation in the virtual conferences and offers of professional training, as well as dedicated in-store space, backed up by sales operations, for exclusive Ramadan pop-up initiatives in March 2022. Through the acquisition of some of the Saudi 100 Brands products, retailers will also play a role in the wholesale resort campaign sales across major fashion cities. Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission, said: “Saudi Arabia is on a growth path across all sectors, including fashion, and there are great opportunities for local entrepreneurs to build new businesses across all parts of the fashion value chain. A robust fashion sector benefits from local creatives, design studios, marketing and communication agencies, manufacturers and retailers. And through programs like Saudi 100 Brands, we look forward to seeing Saudi designers take their rightful place on the global stage.” Saudi brands wishing to participate in the program are being invited by the Commission to register through the e-platform: