International designers who attended the event noted how they had been inspired by the event’s representation of Saudi culture and heritage.
American fashion designer Prabal Gurung told Arab News: “Just to see the colors and the nature, clashes of colors within the textiles of what people wear in the Saudi Cup … I knew it was inspiring. I knew it had an incredible history, the artisans and the embroidery and everything, but to see it at this level it’s insanely amazing.”
He said the fashion industry in the Kingdom oozed “grace and glamor.”
“What inspires me are the women here. They are the most incredibly graceful women that I have ever met, the way they present themselves, the way that they talk. There is so much poetry in the way they present themselves.
“I always try to bring that into my work, the prints, and the colors. The things that you see are inspiring. The minute I arrived here, my phone was loaded with images,” Gurung added.
Other stars at the event, including French Algerian filmmaker and model Farida Khelfa, and Tunisian Italian model Afef Jnifen, dressed in Saudi designs inspired by the region.